Australian research reactors spent fuel management: the path to sustainability
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Date
2016-03-13
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
European Nuclear Society
Abstract
Since the late 1950’s, ANSTO has successfully operated three research reactors in Australia: HIFAR (1958-2007), MOATA (1961-1995) and OPAL (2006- Specific strategies were developed and implemented for the management and disposition of spent fuel from HIFAR and MOATA. They included strategic considerations, technical options, fuel characteristics, storage capacity, operational constraints and associated implications. In addition, the operating licenses of the Australian reactors have required the identification of spent fuel disposition arrangements, i.e. the “deferment” strategy of storage indefinitely is not acceptable. Disposition then employed three routes with direct disposal in the USA under the US-DOE FRRSNFA Program and reprocessing in France by AREVA, and in the UK by the UKAEA. Both reprocessing routes included return of vitrified waste. ANSTO and AREVA have worked together since the late 1990’s on the disposition of uranium aluminide (UAlx) spent fuel from HIFAR. Today, ANSTO is committed to develop a lifetime strategy for management and disposition of uranium silicide (U3Si2) spent fuel from OPAL. AREVA’s ability to offer an integrated solution for storage, transport, reprocessing, waste return and long-term management, including addressing individual customer needs (type of fuel, timelines, quantities, final waste management strategy,...), has provided ANSTO with a viable spent fuel management strategy, for OPAL’s lifetime.
Description
Keywords
Areva NC, Fuel management, HIFAR Reactor, Limiting values, MOATA Reactor, OPAL Reactor, Operating licenses, Radioactive waste management, Service life, Spent fuel storage, Sustainability, Transport, UKAEA, Uranium, Uranium solicides, US DOE, Vitrification
Citation
Finlay, R., Miller, R., Dimitrovski, L., Domingo, X., Landau, P., Velery, J., & Laloy, V. (2016). Australian research reactors spent fuel management: the path to sustainability. Paper presented to the 17th RRFM/IGORR 2016, 13 – 17 March 2016, Berlin, Germany. (pp. 558-566). Retrieved from: https://www.igorr.com/Documents/2016-BERLIN/rrfm2016-transactions.pdf