international workshop on high level radioactive waste and spent fuel management - storage and...

International Workshop on High Level Radioactive Waste and Spent Fuel Management - Storage and Disposal

Status of U.S. Used Nuclear Fuel Disposition Program

Jeff Williams, Deputy Director

Office of Used Nuclear Fuel Disposition R&D

Office of Nuclear Energy

U.S. Department of Energy

November 30, 2011

Presentation Outline

History of U.S. Used Nuclear Fuel Program

U.S. Department of Energy Office of Nuclear Energy– Organization

– Mission and goals

Office of Fuel Cycle Technologies

Used Fuel Disposition R&D Campaign– Disposal

– Storage

– Transportation

Blue Ribbon Commission

2

Used Nuclear Fuel ProgramHistory and Status

1982 - Nuclear Waste Policy Act (NWPA) directed Department of Energy (DOE) to develop a repository for spent nuclear fuel and high-level radioactive waste

1987 - NWPA amended, directing DOE to only evaluate Yucca Mountain 2002 – Yucca Mountain site recommendation and approval by Congress 2008 – DOE submits license application for construction authorization 2009 - President Obama directed the Secretary of Energy to establish the Blue

Ribbon Commission (BRC) on America’s Nuclear Future 2010 - DOE filed a motion with NRC to withdraw the LA BRC created in light of the Administration’s decision not to proceed with Yucca

Mountain BRC to conduct a comprehensive review of the back-end of the fuel cycle;

provide advice and recommendations on policy and management of used nuclear fuel

2010 - Office of Civilian Radioactive Waste Management abolished and technical activities transferred to Office of Nuclear Energy

BRC Draft report released in July 2011 BRC Final report due in January 2012

3

NRC Review of DOE License Application for Yucca Mountain

DOE submitted a license application to NRC, seeking authorization to construct a high-level waste geologic repository at Yucca Mountain, Nevada

NRC issued:– First volume of Staff’s Safety Evaluation Report – August 23, 2010

– Staff’s Postclosure Technical Evaluation Report – July 21, 2011

– Staff’s Preclosure Technical Evaluation Report – September 1, 2011

– Staff’s Administrative and Programmatic Technical Evaluation Report – September 21, 2011

The Technical Evaluation Reports did not contain findings as to whether NRC’s regulatory requirements were satisfied; however (as examples),

– NRC staff notes that DOE’s representation of repository performance in its Total System Performance Assessment (TSPA) is consistent with the guidance in the Yucca Mountain Review Plan

– NRC staff also notes that the DOE technical approach for its TSPA and the TSPA results are reasonable

30 Nov 2011 Status of US SNF Disposition Program 4

Nuclear fuel fabrication/test facility

Shutdown reactor site undergoing decommissioning

Operating reactor

Shutdown reactor

SNF from shutdown reactor at operating reactor site

Commercial SNF pool storage (away from reactor)

Operating commercial research reactor

Commercial HLW

Shutdown reactor site largely decommissioned except ISFSI

Commercial SNF from research reactor

Commercial dry storage site

WA

OR

ID

MT

CA

NV

UT

WY

CO

AZ

NM

ND

SD

NE

KS

OK

TX

MN

IA

MO

AR

LA

MS AL GA

TN

KY

IN OH

WI

MI

WV

SC

NC

VA

PA

NY

ME

NHVT

NJ

MD

DE

RI

IL

MA

CT

FL

Locations of Spent Nuclear Fuel and High-Level Radioactive Waste1

January 2011

1 Locations reflect non-federally owned SNF and HLW covered by the Nuclear Waste Policy Act

Historical and Projected Commercial Spent Nuclear Fuel Discharges

6

US DOE-NE Organization

7

Used Fuel Disposition Guidance Framework

Nuclear Waste Disposal “All Nuclear Waste Disposal project funding has been eliminated due to the

termination of the Yucca Mountain Project and the Office of Civilian Radioactive Waste Management.”

“Office of Nuclear Energy (based on FY 2011 budget request) will develop and execute a research and program that will address critical scientific and technical issues associated with the long-term management and disposal of used nuclear fuel. The Office of Nuclear Energy will support the work of the Blue Ribbon Commission and the development of an integrated approach to waste management options.”

“… Follow on work to explore waste management and disposal alternatives to the Yucca Mountain repository will be supported by the Office of Nuclear Energy.”

“The Department is committed to preserving core scientific knowledge and expertise resident in government and national laboratory personnel and applying it to developing a different approach to used fuel management. The Department will make every effort to utilize the expertise and experience of current Office of Civilian Radioactive Waste Management personnel, consistent with federal statutes, regulations, and union agreements.”


UFD Guidance Framework in the DOE-NE R&D Roadmap


Used Fuel Disposition: Disposal

Geologic disposal will be required under any fuel cycle scenario

Establish the technical bases for a variety of potential disposal environments, including:– Granite– Clay/Shale– Salt– Deep Boreholes

No site-specific investigations

10

Disposal Options Included for R&D

Disposal R&D is focusing on four basic disposal options– Three mined repository options (granitic rocks, clay/shale, and salt)

– One geologic disposal alternative: deep boreholes in crystalline rocks

118 Nov 2011

Was

te F

orm EBS BUFFER

Host Rock and Other Geologic Units

Wa

ste

P

ac

ka

ge

NEAR FIELD

GEOSPHERE

Surface(backfill, liner, seals)

[BENTONITE BUFFER] [CLAY, SALT BACKFILL][DEEP BOREHOLE SEAL]

[GRANITIC ROCKS] [CLAY/SHALE]

[SALT ]

BIOSPHERE

FAR FIELD

UFD Disposal Research Activities


Overview of EBS Multi-Barrier

Concepts– Waste Form (glass, CNSF, etc.)

– Canister/Overpack

– Backfill/Buffer Material

– Modular Concept:• Integrated Waste Package (IWP; Apted, 1998)

• Multi-Component Module (MCM; McKinley et al. 2001)

Engineered Barrier System General Overview

Source: http://www.sck.be/en/Our-Research/Research-domains

Multi-barrier concept for the Belgian radioactive waste repository

Thin Steel Outer Shell

Geotextile MaterialBentonite Clay/Sand Mix Layer

Bentonite Clay Layer Sand Layer

Waste

Steel ContainerEnclosing Waste

Schematic diagram of the MCM concept after McKinley et al. (2006)

Not to scale

13

Develop models to evaluate performance of multiple generic disposal systems

(not to scale)

was

te d

ispo

sal z

one

1-2

km

crys

talli

ne

ba

sem

en

tse

dim

en

tary

co

ver

plug

ged

and

back

fille

d sh

aft

appr

oxim

atel

y 3

km

surface

waste

primary seal system

Source: modified from Brady et al., 2009, Deep Borehole Disposal of High-Level Radioactive Waste, SAND2009-4401

Disposal System Environment Modeling R&D

Brine pockets

Cutting, Caving, Spalling

Salt bed

Overlaying carbonate aquifer

Repository

Near-field/far-field interface for human intrusion

Borehole penetrating repository and brine pocket for human intrusion scenario

Interbed

Source: Figure 3.1.1 of Clayton et al., Generic Disposal System Modeling—Fiscal Year 2011 Progress Report, FCRD-USED-2011-000184


UFD Storage and Transportation Objectives

UFD Storage and Transportation objectives:

• Develop the technical basis for extended storage of used nuclear fuel

• Develop the technical basis for fuel retrievability and transportation after extended storage

• Develop the technical basis for transportation of high burnup used nuclear fuel


Storage of Used Nuclear Fuel

Currently 54 dry cask storage NRC-licensed Independent Spent Fuel Storage Installations (ISFSIs) in 33 states

There are 14 shutdown reactors at 13 sites in 9 states with used fuel in wet or dry storage

Interim storage of UNF is safe and licensableExisting facilities can be licensed to store low-burnup light water reactor (LWR) fuel (<45 GWD/MTU) up to 60 years

Additional regulatory and technical basis needed for interim storage of low-burnup fuels past 60 years and for interim storage of high-burnup fuels

16

Overall Objectives: •Develop the technical bases to demonstrate used fuel integrity for extended storage •Develop technical bases for fuel retrievability after long term storage•Extend the technical basis to allow storage of high burnup LWR fuels

Storage Objectives

Connecticut Yankee ISFSI

17

Storage System Components

I. FuelI. PelletII. Fuel/CladIII. Assembly

II. CaskI. BasketII. InternalsIII. CanisterIV. Overpack

III. ISFSII. PadII. RebarIII. Physical Protection

IV. Monitoring SystemsI. Remote inspectionII. In-package sensorsIII. Security

18

Integrate closely with industry, regulators, and international organizations

Ensure that technical, regulatory, operational, and institutional aspects of storage and transportation are addressed adequately– Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) Extended Storage

Collaboration Program (ESCP)• Working with industry (fuel and cask vendors, utilities) to identify critical

technical gaps associated with S&T objectives• Working with NRC to identify technical gaps• Working with international organizations to develop a common basis of

technical gaps associated with long term storage and transportation.

Storage - Domestic and International Collaboration

19

Options for Transportation after Extended Storage

Identify advantages and disadvantages of the following options for the post-storage handling of UNF assemblies prior to transport

Develop technical bases for the assertion that UNF cladding and canisters will be intact after extended storage: – Thermal performance

– Radiological performance

– Confinement

– Sub-criticality

– Retrievability

Repackage UNF assemblies prior to transport into new canisters. Canister all future UNF assemblies prior to storage in transportable

canisters.

– Provide criticality mitigations within canisters (assume UNF will degrade)– “Canister” canisters if they are degraded after extended storage

Technical Bases for Post-Storage TransportOPTIONS

Technical Bases for Post-Storage TransportOPTIONS

1. Cladding / canister integrity

1. Cladding / canister integrity

2. Repackage2. Repackage 3. Canister all stored UNF3. Canister all stored UNF


Used Fuel Disposition: Transportation

Develop the technical basis to allow safe and secure transportation of high-burnup fuels and a variety of waste forms.

21

Transportation

Extensive operational experience exists for LWR fuels and DOE HLW

Less experience with transportation of high-burnup fuels and advanced fuel forms

Secure transportation options are currently limited for Category I and II materials

22

Transportation Priorities

Near term: transport of selected fuel rods to support UNF testing

Medium term: transport of UNF from Independent Spent Fuel Storage Installations to a central storage facility

– Key transportation emphasis: • Inventory of UNF in dry storage and transfer / transport systems available.• Decommissioned sites “first”• Logistical issues: e.g.: Are storage canisters currently transportable? Are transfer

systems / transport casks available? Use of dual-purpose casks?

Long term: transport of UNF after extended storage– Key transportation assumptions for R&D emphasis:

• UNF may be degraded after extended storage • Canisters may be degraded• Retrievability and criticality issues must be addressed


UFD Campaign International Activities

Mont Terri: International underground research laboratory (URL) in clay in Switzerland

Joining the URL will give DOE access to data from all Mont Terri R&D, also the opportunity to conduct new experiments

Colloid Formation and Migration Project

Colloid research at Grimsel granite URL in Switzerland

DECOVALEX: (Development of Coupled Models and their Validation against Experiments)

DOE has participated in the past, new phase of project begins Spring 2012

10

HE-E Heater Test: Focus on THM effects, bentonite rock

interaction, seal and clay barrier performance

Micro-tunnel

Monitoring starts in Spring 2011

Same location as previous ventilation experiment

MB (Mine-by) Test: Focus on HM effects, EDZ evolution

Full-scale tunnel

Monitoring phase completed

FE Heater Test: Focus on THM effects, validation of

various bentonite/clay performance processes

Full-scale tunnel

Monitoring starts in Spring 2012

Major current or soon-to-be started experiments

Collaboration continues in multiple areas, including storage, transportation, and disposal

Primary new goal for Disposal R&D in FY12: Establish formal collaborative R&D arrangements with three ongoing European programs


November 2011 IDWG 25

America’s Nuclear Future

The President and Secretary Chu have made it clear that Yucca Mountain is not a workable option.

The President directed the Secretary to establish the Blue Ribbon Commission (BRC) on America’s Nuclear Future

Established in light of the Administration’s decision not to proceed with Yucca Mountain

Conduct a comprehensive review of the back-end of the fuel cycle Commission is made up of 15 members with wide range of expertise

and experience in nuclear issues, including:

– Scientists

– Industry and labor representatives

– Respected former elected officials


BRC Draft Report to Secretary of Energy

Key Recommendations

– Establish a siting approach that is: adaptive, staged, consent-based, transparent, and standards+science based

– Create new organization with a focused, integrated program for transportation,

storage, and disposal of nuclear wastes

– Assure program access to the Nuclear Waste Fund

– Prompt efforts to develop one or more permanent deep geological facilities for

safe disposal

– Prompt efforts to develop one or more consolidated interim storage facilities as

part of a comprehensive plan

– Support stable research, development and demonstration on advanced reactor

and fuel cycle technologies

– Encourage international leadership to address non-proliferation concerns and

improve safety and security of nuclear facilities


Summary

Used Nuclear Fuel Disposition R&D office is addressing current issues for disposal of spent nuclear fuel

Related topics on disposal, storage and transportation are being studied

U.S. is pursuing continued collaboration with domestic and international partners

Blue Ribbon Commission will provide input on future considerations

international workshop on high level radioactive waste and spent fuel management - storage and...

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