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IAEA International Atomic Energy Agency
NFCMS’ activities to help Member States
address impacts of the development of
advanced fuel cycles on the back-end
Presentation by NFCMS to INPRO’s
10th Dialog Forum
Clément Hill ([email protected])
28 May 2015
IAEA
Presentation outline
• Spent Fuel Management (SFM) - Global statistics
• Current Fuel Cycles (FC) - FC phases and topical issues impacting SFM
• Advanced Fuel Cycles - Challenges in the back-end
• NFCMS’ role and activities - Assistance to Member States
• Technical Meetings, Workshops, documents
- Major forthcoming events
• Technical Meetings, International Conference
IAEA
Spent Fuel Management (SFM)
IAEA
Typical Fuels used in the World
Zr Zr - - 1%Nb clad 1%Nb clad
(<5%U (<5%U - - 235)UO 235)UO 2 2
Zircaloy clad
Enriched UO UO 2 2
(<5%U (<5%U - - 235) 235)
9x9
Fuel Fuel
Elements Elements
UO UO 2 2 or (U, Pu)O or (U, Pu)O
Fuel Pellets Fuel Pellets
SS Clad SS Clad
Enriched Enriched UO UO 2 2
(<5%U (<5%U - - 235) 235)
Magnesium Alloy Clad Magnesium Alloy Clad
Natural Uranium Metal Pin Natural Uranium Metal Pin
SS clad SS clad
( U,Pu)O ( U,Pu)O
PWR PWR BWR BWR VVER VVER
17x17
Fuel Fuel
Elements Elements
312
Fuel Fuel
Elements Elements
AGR AGR
MAGNOX MAGNOX
37 Fuel elements
Zircaloy clad
Natural UO UO 2 2
PHWR PHWR LMFR LMFR
RBMK RBMK
Zr Zr - - 1%Nb clad 1%Nb clad
(<5%U (<5%U - - 235)UO 235)UO 2 2
Zircaloy clad
Enriched UO UO 2 2
(<5%U (<5%U - - 235) 235)
9x9
Fuel Fuel
Elements Elements
SS clad SS clad
( U,Pu)O ( U,Pu)O
PWR PWR BWR BWR VVER VVER
17x17
Fuel Fuel
Elements Elements
312
Fuel Fuel
Elements Elements
AGR AGR
MAGNOX MAGNOX
37 Fuel elements
Zircaloy clad
Natural UO UO 2 2
PHWR PHWR LMFR LMFR
RBMK RBMK
Zr Zr - - 1%Nb clad 1%Nb clad
(<5%U (<5%U - - 235)UO 235)UO 2 2
Zircaloy clad
Enriched UO UO 2 2
(<5%U (<5%U - - 235) 235)
9x9
Fuel Fuel
Elements Elements
UO UO 2 2 or (U, Pu)O or (U, Pu)O 2
Fuel Pellets Fuel Pellets
SS Clad SS Clad
Enriched Enriched UO UO 2 2
(<5%U (<5%U - - 235) 235)
Magnesium Alloy Clad Magnesium Alloy Clad
Natural Uranium Metal Pin Natural Uranium Metal Pin
SS clad SS clad
( U,Pu)O ( U,Pu)O 2
PWR PWR BWR BWR VVER VVER
17x17
Fuel Fuel
Elements Elements
312
Fuel Fuel
Elements Elements
AGR AGR
MAGNOX MAGNOX
37 Fuel elements
Zircaloy clad
Natural UO UO 2 2
PHWR PHWR LMFR LMFR
RBMK RBMK
PHWRs & LWRs account for
more than 90% of operating
nuclear power reactors
They use natural uranium and low
enriched uranium oxide or U/Pu
mixed oxide, as fuel in the form of
pellets encapsulated in zirconium
alloy cladding tubes
IAEA
Global statistics on Spent Fuel
IAEA
Interim storage Options
AR Pools
Centralized
Passive Pools
Dry Storage
Vault Stores
Metal Casks
Concrete Casks
Ventilated Concrete
Casks
Vertical Ventilated
Silos
Horizontal Ventilated
Silos
Canisters
IAEA
Fuel Cycle phases
Fuel
Manufacture
Fuel
Irradiation
AR SF
Storage
AFR SF
Storage
SF
Reprocessing
Product
Storage
SF
conditioning
for disposal
Waste
Storage
Disposal
facility
Uranium
Purification
Uranium
Mining
Uranium
Enrichment
Impacts on the BEFC
IAEA
Example of topical issues impacting
current SFM
• Fundamental questions: - What are the alterations in the
mechanical properties of the fuel
rod cladding and fuel pellet/fuel
clad interaction associated with
high burnup, MOX fuel?
- What is the amount of fuel
released in the event of rod
breakage?
Improving basic knowledge on
SF behaviour for retrieval and
transport situations
IAEA
Advanced fuel cycles under development
• For nuclear power to be sustainable as a global
source of emission-free energy, the fuel cycle should
remain sustainable
Motivation for advanced and innovative nuclear FC for
nuclear power sustainability through SF recycling and Fast
Reactors deployment
- Development of Fuel Cycle Options that are economically viable,
safe, environment-friendly and proliferation resistant
Constituent SF Composition
Uranium ~ 95 – 96 %
Plutonium ~ 1.0 %
Minor Actinides (Np, Am and Cm) ~ 0.1 %
Fission products ~ 3 – 4 %
IAEA
Summary of R&D development in MA
separation processes in Member States
France Advanced aqueous separation with recovery of most of the minor actinides, while
having a small activity in the area of pyro-chemical processing involving the liquid-
liquid reductive extraction in molten fluoride/liquid aluminum.
India Pyro-chemical recycling of actinides in metallic fuel, which is planned to be used in
fast breeder reactor (FBR) after 2020.
Republic of Korea
The most ambitious program with a steady investigation of pyro-chemical technology
since 1990 and plans to demonstrate the technology in collaboration with the United
States via the Joint Fuel Cycle Study Program and eventually construct an
engineering-scale hot cell facility
Russian Federation Applying pyro-chemical technology for UO2 and PuO2 recovery from spent oxide fuel.
China, P.R Investigation of aqueous process technology for the next two decade with pyro-
chemical process development planned for beyond 2030 to recycle metallic spent fuel
in fast reactors
USA
Focus on continued basic research to support a future decision on implementing
aqueous or pyro-chemical technology to close the nuclear fuel cycle (attention on
safety and safeguards). Meanwhile, pyro-chemical technology continues to be applied
at INL to stabilize spent fuels from FFTF and EBR-II.
Japan Focus on advanced aqueous process with minor actinide management under the
framework of the FACT program. Pyro-chemical process development explored in
parallel.
IAEA
Impacts of Advanced Fuels on SFM
• Higher burnup, Accident Tolerant Fuels Impact on storage and disposal (-radiolysis)
Same fundamental questions remain - What are the alterations in the mechanical properties of the fuel
rod cladding and fuel pellet/fuel clad interaction?
- What is the amount of fuel released in the event of rod breakage?
• New fuel matrix and cladding for Gen-IV Reactors
- Nitride, carbide, ceramic, metallic fuels
Impact on reprocessing (chemistry)
Investigate/simulate (because of lack of available
information) the behavior of these Advanced Fuels for
retrieval and transport situations
IAEA
Years
Interim
Storage
Reference Endpoint
Reference Fuel Irradiation Higher Fuel Burnup, MOX
Delays in Endpoint
Throughput Constraints
Interim Storage
Managing uncertainty in the BEFC
IAEA
Role and activities of NFCMS
IAEA
NFCMS’ working areas
• NFCMS’ work programmes are aimed at providing
Member States with assistance and required
information to aid successful management of SF and
inform decision makers for the BEFC management
- NFCMS undertakes cooperative research through CRPs
- NFCMS organizes Technical Meetings or Conferences to
assist MSs in sharing information on:
• SF management (SF and storage system performance
assessment)
• Lessons learned in SF management (e.g., high burn-up and short
cooled FR fuels)
• SF reprocessing/recycling (e.g., use of Pu and Minor Actinides)
IAEA
NFCMS’ working areas
• TMs aim at:
- Disseminating SF Knowledge among MSs
- Promoting SF strategies at early stages of
NP programmes (Newcomers)
- Providing technical guidance on good
practices (Technical Documents)
• NFCMS also supports IAEA Nuclear
Safety Action Plan related to SFM
• Analysis of storage data from Fukushima
• Support to Technical Cooperation/
Peer Review Missions
IAEA
Coordinated Research Projects (CRPs)
• Already Closed - BEFAST CRP series: BEhaviour of spent Fuel Assemblies in Storage
• BEFAST I (1981-1986); BEFAST II (1986-1991); BEFAST III (1991-1996)
- SPAR CRP series: Spent Fuel Performance Assessment and Research
• SPAR I (1997-2001); SPAR II (2002-2008); SPAR III (2010-2014)
- Technical documentation gathering relevant results and main conclusions:
• BEFAST and SPAR CRPs have demonstrated
that international cooperation can
successfully be accomplished, providing major
benefits to MSs
• SF storage is approaching a mature
technology in the back end of the FC
• More than 30 years of accumulated
experience showed that interim SF storage
is safe in both wet and dry conditions
IAEA
• Active (2012-2016)
• DEMO: Demonstrating performance of spent
fuel and related storage systems beyond the
long term
• Initiated November 2011
• Supported by extra budget funding from USA (PUI)
• RCMs held in April 2013 and in November 2014
• Overall Objective
• To support the technical basis for water reactor SF dry
storage as durations extend
• Research Areas
• Demonstration tests in USA (for more than 15 years)
and Japan
• Stress Corrosion Cracking mechanisms and monitoring,
rod behaviour, concrete systems, bolted closure
systems, neutron shielding and system demonstration
Coordinated Research Projects (CRPs)
IAEA
Coordinated Research Projects (CRPs)
• Active (2012-2015)
- Near Term and Promising Long Term Options for
Deployment of Thorium Based Nuclear Energy
- CRP provides a platform for sharing research results and
previous experience among participating MSs
- Key focus
• Development of strategies for deployment of Th based nuclear
energy in near, medium and long term timeframes
• Identification of gaps
- Participating Member States
• Canada, China, Czech Republic, Germany, Italy, UK, India, USA
IAEA
• New and Planned - Management of severely damaged SF and corium
• To expand the existing basic knowledge and identify optimal
approaches
• CRP approved by the CCRA and open for proposals
(research contracts/agreements)
- SPAR-IV*: Spent fuel performance assessment
and research
- Demo-II*: Demonstrating performance of spent
fuel storage • To follow up and assess results from demonstration projects
in USA, Japan and RoK
Coordinated Research Projects (CRPs)
- Ageing management programmes for SF dry storage systems* • To develop in co-operation with NSRW the technical basis and methodology to provide
guidance to MSs
• To build on the working group activity (2011-2013) on the preparation of a safety case
for storage and transport of Spent Fuel
*CRPs pending for approval by the CCRA
IAEA
Technical Meetings (TMs)
• TM on SF storage options (2-4 July 2013)
• 23 Member States represented (> 90% of the world’s stored fuel)
• Overall Objective - Establish which storage systems are
currently available or under design
- Design innovations to meet latest
safety standards and fuel cycle
demands
- Review operating experience and
impact of Fukushima
- Update IAEA-TECDOC-1100
“Survey of wet and dry spent fuel
storage”
IAEA
Technical Meetings (TMs)
• Overall Objective - Build upon foundations established in
IAEA-TECDOC 1725 (Spent Fuel Storage
Operations - Lessons Learned, published
December 2013)
- Expand lessons learned to cover all spent
fuel management activities
- Particular attention being paid to draw
upon Member States experiences in
managing leaking, failed, degraded,
damaged or severely damaged spent
fuel/fuel debris
• TM on Lessons learned in SFM (8-10 July 2014)
• TM attended by 36 participants from 16 MSs
IAEA
• Challenges in reprocessing of Fast Reactor fuels
− 24-26 June 2015, Vienna (Austria)
• Achieving zero fuel failure rates: challenges and
perspectives
− 1-2 October 2015, Varna (Bulgaria)
• Technical options for management of RW and SF in
countries developing new nuclear programmes
− In cooperation with NEFW-Waste Technology Section
− To be organized in Vienna in Q4
Technical Meetings planned in 2015
IAEA
Documents published on SFM
• Nuclear Energy Series Documents
-Technical Reports
www.iaea.org/publications
IAEA
Documents published on SFM
• Nuclear Energy Supporting Documents (TECDOCs)
IAEA
Establishment of a Spent Fuel Management Network
• Background - Develop a Network for spent fuel recovery
Operations (IAEA NS Action Plan)
• ToRs - To foster safe, sustainable and efficient SF
management practices across all MSs
- To address the management of SF after
discharge (including handling, maintenance,
storage, transport, reprocessing, SF data
management, etc)
• SFM Network hosted by CONNECT
platform - since October 2014
• Partners - AREVA, NEI & ROSATOM
IAEA
Forthcoming event: 15-19 June 2015
• Int. Conf. on Management of Spent Fuel from Nuclear Power Reactors
- Main goal: Highlighting the importance of an integrated
long term approach to the management of SF from NPPs
- Seven topical sessions • Spent fuel management strategies
• Storage options in support of the integrated approach
• Status and challenges in an integrated approach
• Ageing management programmes
• Impact of the front end of the nuclear fuel cycle on the back end
• Research and development required to deliver an integrated
approach
• Safety aspects of spent fuel management
- 230 Registered participants
- 4 keynote talks, 7 invited speakers, 65 oral
presentations and 29 posters
- Conference President: Ms Fiona Rayment
• Director of Fuel Cycle Solutions at UK NNL
Premise: BR-A
IAEA
…atoms for peace
Thank you for your attention
IAEA
IAEA
• Advanced fuel cycles for waste burden minimization
− Focus on reducing the amount of waste as well as the radiotoxicity of the waste
to de disposed
• MSs approaches to societal confidence and political
acceptance in the back end of the fuel cycle
− Communication with all stakeholders is one of the significant aspects to be
taken into account when establishing SF management strategy/policy
• Developing nuclear fuel cycles
− Options for closing the back-end
− Impacts on the existing options
− Benefits/issues associated with transitioning to a new fuel cycle
• Deployment of mitigation technologies
− To provide technical guidance to MSs on measures to mitigate the
consequences of extreme adverse conditions in stored SF and storage facilities
Technical Meetings (2016-2017)
IAEA
• To review methodologies used to assess costs in the
back end of the nuclear fuel cycle
• To define the impact of policy and strategic
uncertainties on the sustainability of existing and future
nuclear fuel cycles
- How to manage (missing information, knowledge management) cliff
edges (i.e. risks, concerns and challenges)
• To identify processes for strengthening interfaces in the
nuclear fuel cycle
- Impact of the optimization of one stage on the others
- Importance of common goals of all stages
Workshops (2016-2017)
IAEA
Documents published on Advanced FC
www.iaea.org/publications
• Nuclear Energy Series Documents
-Technical Reports
IAEA
• Hydrogen behaviour in zirconium cladding
- Short cooling times or high burnup or MOX fuel
- Transfer to the next phase BEFC
- On discharge from reactor, hydrogen in
solution ppts in form of circumferential hydride
platelets
- Only hydrides which dissolve during heating
from a wet to a dry environment can re-orient
on cooling
• Drying fuel in T up to 420°C and >internal rod pressure
(hydrides dissolution and re-ppt on cooling in the radial
direction)
• Amount dissolved is temperature dependent for
example at 400°C 210 ppm of hydrogen would go into
solution (rest remains as hydrides)
Example of topical issues impacting
current SFM
IAEA
Example of topical issues impacting
current SFM
Graph provided by the NDA (UK)
Reprocessing plant
is 50 years old
Reprocessing plant
would be ~63 years old
• Throughput and availability of reprocessing plant
IAEA
Motivation for MA Transmutation
Plutonium and
minor actinides
are responsible
for most of
repository
hazard beyond
400 years
Many examples
of man-made
structures > 400
years old exist
IAEA 35
Thorium fuel cycle: major incentives
• Natural abundance of thorium resources
• Th-232 is a better fertile material than U-238 and
produces best fissile material U-233 in thermal
reactors
• Improved thermo-physical properties, such as high
melting point, higher thermal conductivity and low
co-efficient of thermal expansion compared to UO2
and MOX
• High burn-up capability
• Suitability for high conversion ratio fuel cycles
• Th based fuels have intrinsic proliferation
resistance characteristics due to the presence of
U-232 in U-233
• Low radiotoxic waste for Th-232/U-233 fuel cycle
IAEA
• ThO2 and Th based mixed oxide
fuels, unlike UO2 and (U/Pu)O2 fuels,
do not dissolve easily in conc. HNO3
• Compulsory automated & remote
operation in well shielded facility for
Th-233/U fuel containing U-232
• Three stream process of separation
of U, Pu and Th from spent
(Th/Pu)O2 fuel is yet to be developed
• Limited database and experience on
thorium fuels and fuel cycles
compared to U and (U/Pu) fuels
Thorium fuel cycle: challenges
Gamma energies of U-232 daughters
212Bi : 0.7-1.8 MeV
208Tl : 2.6 MeV
IAEA
Decay Heat in Spent Fuel Storage
• CS held 9-12 December 2013
• Overall Objective
• To gather information on and to
formulate the basis for producing a
technical document on decay heat in
spent fuel storage
• Output
• Information on decay heat in spent
fuel storage is embedded in a
variety of documents
• Opportunity to pull all facts into one
document
IAEA
MOX Fuel and MOX SFM
• ‘LWR MOX Fuel – Design,
Operations & Management’
• The aim is to provide technical
guidance to newcomers
• Meetings
• 3-6 June 2014, Marcoule, France
• 28-30 April 2015, Vlissingen,
Netherlands
IAEA
Fukushima Related Activities
• IAEA Action Plan on Nuclear Safety
- Analysis of storage data from Fukushima Daiichi NPP
- Establishment of a Spent Fuel Management (SFM)
network
- Decay heat management in spent fuel storage
- Lessons learned in Spent Fuel Management
- New CRP on Severely Damaged Spent Fuel and Corium
• International Peer Review Missions
- Spent fuel and fuel debris removal