2014 NEI Used Fuel Management

Conference Debrief Status of technical and regulatory developments in the US

Rod McCullum

Nuclear Energy Institute (NEI)

IAEA Technical Meeting on Lessons Learned in Spent Fuel Management

July 8-10, 2014

1

The NEI Used Fuel Management Conference

• Held every May, usually in Florida USA

• Attended by 250-300 professionals- Nuclear Utilities

- Vendors

- Government

- Regulators

- National Laboratories and Universities

• 2 ½ days of panel sessions and exhibit hall

• Comprehensive range of technical, regulatory, and policy issues are discussed

2

The Conversation – May 2014 Conference

• Uncertainty in U.S. Policy

• Waste Confidence

• Ongoing work towards disposal

• International Perspectives

• Extended Dry Storage

- Aging Management

• Pool Storage

- Regulatory Efficiency Improvement

• High Burn-up Fuel

• Public Acceptance

• Regulatory Perspectives

• Dry Storage Licensing Topics

- Process Improvements

• Storage and Transportation Technical Issues

• Operating Experience

• Cumulative Burden Reduction

• Special Interest Discussions

- Decommissioning Plants

- Vendor Users Groups

- EPRI Extended Storage Collaboration

3

100 Operating U.S. Nuclear Power Reactors

5 to 19 Additional Power Reactors Expected

Used Nuclear Fuel in Storage in the U.S.January 2014

• Used fuel inventory- Approximately 72,000 MTU- Increases 2 - 2.4k MTU annually

• ISFSI* storage - 79,381 assemblies- 22,200 MTU- 1,865 casks/modules loaded- 63 Operating ISFSIs

• 1 pool ISFSI, 1 modular vault

• Projections for 2020- Estimating 88,000 MTU total- Estimating 31,000 MTU at ISFSI- 3,000 casks/modules loaded- At 76 ISFSIs

• All plant sites + Morris & INEL

- Fuel from 119 reactors

• ISFSI Storage will have long-term use- DOE projects consolidated storage 2021-2025, repository 2048

*ISFSI = Independent Spent Fuel Storage Installation6

Historical Growth of U.S. Dry Cask Storage

7

2004 - 664 Casks in Service

(22,644 used fuel assemblies)

2013 – 1,865 Casks in Service

(79,381 used fuel assemblies)

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

1986 1988 1990 1992 1994 1996 1998 2000 2002 2004 2006 2008 2010 2012

Number of ISFSIs Added

Total Number of ISFSIs

Condition of US Used Fuel

• Industry successfully driving toward zero failures goal

• Historically, failed fuel has been placed in damaged fuel cans

• Industry increasing discharging High Burn-up Fuel* (HBU)

- US is studying the behavior of HBU in long-term dry storage

- Since 2004, ~6,000 HBU assemblies placed into dry storage

- Some utilities have canned HBU as a conservative precaution

8* Burn-up > 45,000 Mwd/MT

Why Storage Demand Continues to Grow• 1957 – National Academy of Sciences recommends geologic disposal

• 1960’s/70’s – Salt repository site in Lyons, Kansas studied

• 1977 – President Carter “indefinitely defers” reprocessing

• 1980 – DOE environmental study selects geologic disposal as preferred option

• 1982 – Nuclear Waste Policy Act established process for selecting a repository

• 1987 – Nuclear Waste Policy Act amended to narrow repository study to Yucca

Mountain

• 2002 – Yucca Mountain Development Act approves Yucca Mountain site

• 2008 – DOE completes Yucca Mountain license application

• 2010 – DOE terminates Yucca Mountain project

• 2012 – President Obama’s “Blue Ribbon Commission” recommends consent

based process for selecting consolidated storage site and a new repository site

• 2021/2025* – DOE’s projected dates to open consolidated storage facilities

• 2048* – DOE’s projected Date to open repository

*Contingent on Congress enacting legislation in 2014

A long journey requires an efficient process

Lesson Learned: Dry Storage Aging Management

• Start thinking about it early

• Capture lessons learned from reactor systems

and non-nuclear aging management

• The experience of the fuel will matter

• The environmental conditions in which dry

storage is conducted will matter

• Building effective aging management programs

with limited operating experience is a challenge

11

Regulatory Guidance Structure for

Reactor License Renewal

12

Proposed Regulatory Guidance Structure for

Dry Storage License and CoC Renewal

13

Storage Aging

Management

(SAM) Report

NUREG-2157

ANL Report

SAM Report

NUREG-1927

Existing

Draft

Proposed

10 CFR Part 72

NEI 14-03

EPRI HBU

R&D

Test Plan

EPRI R&D

CISCC Aging

Mgmt.

RIRP N-10-01

(CISCC)

GAP

Analyses

Lesson Learned: Efficient Used Fuel Pool

Management

• Criticality safety margins should be understood and communicated

• Alignment between operator and regulator on assumptions and methods for criticality safety analysis is important

• Steps should be taken to assure functionality of fixed neutron absorbers over time

• Potential severe accident scenarios (drain down) should be addressed

14

Lesson Learned: Dry Storage Regulatory Process

• The level of detail in dry storage regulations

and licenses should be risk appropriate

• Excessively detailed dry storage licensing can

delay loading campaigns

• Generic licensing of dry storage systems may

complicate the update and renewal of licenses

• Addressing aging management issues is the

biggest regulatory challenge going forward

15

Conclusion

• Used Fuel Storage in the U.S. will be a growth

industry for a long time

• Long-term success requires an efficient process

- Effective aging management will be a key to success

- Used fuel pool regulatory practices must reflect and

communicate an appropriate understanding of safety

- Dry cask licensing process must become more efficient

• In the U.S., the opportunity to effect lasting and

meaningful improvement is directly in front of us

16

Omni Orlando at Champions Gate

May 5-7, 2015

Orlando, Florida, USA

Used Fuel Management Conference 2015