At the time of the last International Conference on Management of Spent Fuel from Nuclear Power Reactors in May–June 2010, the nuclear community was very optimistic about the future of the industry, with renewed interest in nuclear new builds and advanced fuel cycles. Less than 12 months after the conference, the accident at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant (NPP) prompted an international review of nuclear and spent fuel safety which led to modifications of strategies and revision of international guidance. In some Member States, decisions were taken to phase out nuclear power generation and initiate the early closure of NPPs (e.g. Germany and Switzerland). In others, the construction of planned new NPPs has been delayed. These developments notwithstanding, the year 2013 saw the largest number of nuclear power reactors under construction since 1989.
As far as the management of radioactive waste and spent fuel is concerned, the development and implementation of a safe geological disposal facility is still a pending issue. Therefore the situation regarding the long term safe management of radioactive waste and spent fuel has serious consequences in terms of the decreasing storage capacity for spent fuel and the increasing duration of storage prior to disposal. As a decision maker, spent fuel manager etc., taking a holistic view of the nuclear fuel cycle ensures that influences from, and impacts on, all phases of the nuclear fuel cycle are clearly understood, and facilitates effective decision making in the back end of the fuel cycle. Particular challenges include maintaining flexibility to accommodate the range of potential future spent fuel management (SFM) options as well as defining and addressing the relevant issues in storage, transport and disposal. A stable SFM policy over the long time frames needed to implement such programmes can only be achieved with the strong involvement of all stakeholders, including policymakers, governmental organizations, regulatory bodies, operators and spent fuel and radioactive waste management organizations, industry, and all other relevant interested parties.
At present, there is limited experience in the transport of spent fuel after long periods of storage. However, with the potential extension of storage duration and as many countries contemplate the development of centralized dry storage facilities and other storage options, including the use of dual purpose casks for both transport and storage, the interface between transport and storage is gaining increasing importance — particularly if inspections and/or repackaging are needed, as well as with regard to safety demonstration aspects.
The theme of the new International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) conference on this topic that will take place in June 2015 covers the integrated approach to the management of spent fuel from nuclear power reactors and aims at addressing the impact of SFM on decisions made and activities developed in the rest of the nuclear fuel cycle and vice versa.
As far as the management of radioactive waste and spent fuel is concerned, the development and implementation of a safe geological disposal facility is still a pending issue. Therefore the situation regarding the long term safe management of radioactive waste and spent fuel has serious consequences in terms of the decreasing storage capacity for spent fuel and the increasing duration of storage prior to disposal. As a decision maker, spent fuel manager etc., taking a holistic view of the nuclear fuel cycle ensures that influences from, and impacts on, all phases of the nuclear fuel cycle are clearly understood, and facilitates effective decision making in the back end of the fuel cycle. Particular challenges include maintaining flexibility to accommodate the range of potential future spent fuel management (SFM) options as well as defining and addressing the relevant issues in storage, transport and disposal. A stable SFM policy over the long time frames needed to implement such programmes can only be achieved with the strong involvement of all stakeholders, including policymakers, governmental organizations, regulatory bodies, operators and spent fuel and radioactive waste management organizations, industry, and all other relevant interested parties.
At present, there is limited experience in the transport of spent fuel after long periods of storage. However, with the potential extension of storage duration and as many countries contemplate the development of centralized dry storage facilities and other storage options, including the use of dual purpose casks for both transport and storage, the interface between transport and storage is gaining increasing importance — particularly if inspections and/or repackaging are needed, as well as with regard to safety demonstration aspects.
The theme of the new International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) conference on this topic that will take place in June 2015 covers the integrated approach to the management of spent fuel from nuclear power reactors and aims at addressing the impact of SFM on decisions made and activities developed in the rest of the nuclear fuel cycle and vice versa.
