Another positive article for NNRI:
A.Putilov, Organization of long-term technological storage of spent nuclear fuel as the last stage of nuclear fuel cycle in developing nuclear power industry
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In order to ensure the further effective development of the nuclear power industry of Russia, we should solve the problem of nuclear, radiation and ecological safety. Safe and economically efficient treatment of irradiated (spent) nuclear fuel (SNF) is one of the key components of this problem. If we find an effective and modern solution to this problem, we will be able to parry the key arguments of the opponents of nuclear power engineering and to more effectively assess our expenses for the whole life cycle of a nuclear power plant.
The negative experience of the previous delayed solutions, when we had no effective instruments for analyzing the future (present) problems, has urged us to take urgent measures to draft a single state policy with a view to guarantee the technological, organizational and economic safety of the process of treatment of SNF in Russia. We need new technologies that will have high innovative potential and will fit well into the reformed nuclear industry. Part of our delayed problems will be resolved in the framework of the Nuclear and Radiation Safety program, to be launched in 2008. But we still need a strong theoretical basis for solving the problem of SNF.
The problem of SNF is one of the most topical problems, today. Should we regard SNF as radioactive waste or as valuable material for further processing? Unfortunately, we have no absolute answers to this question. SNF quality analysis shows that there are lots of factors testifying that it is economically inexpedient to regard SNF as waste. On the other hand, extraction of valuable products from SNF a very expensive process resulting in secondary radioactive waste. None of the countries having operating nuclear power plants has a really efficient system of disposal of SNF. We are doing certain work in this direction and I think that this problem will be solved in the near future. What we need, today, is to develop innovative technologies in order to enhance the safety and to improve the economic efficiency of SNF treatment and, mostly importantly, to ensure ecologically safe long-term technological storage of SNF.
Presently, we have some 20,000 tons of SNF, which is much less than the waste produced by traditional power plants. Ecologists say that the potential damage caused by a 1,000 MW nuclear power plant is three times smaller than the damage cased by a coal power plant of the same capacity. This figure refers to the whole fuel cycle from uranium or coal extraction to waste disposal. People are forced to pay for used KWh and the more efficient the fuel cycle technologies are the lower price they will have to pay.
The bulk of SNF is presently stored in “wet” storage facilities at nuclear power plants.
The “wet” storage technology (storage in water) is the initial stage of the SNF treatment process. It is an essential procedure as water cools down spent fuel assemblies and prevents release of radiation. However, long-term storage in water (for decades) results in corrosion of both the assemblies and the cooling ponds. That’s why experts worldwide are considering ways to store SNF “dry.” This technology would allow storing SNF for much longer time (for over 50 years). So, we would have enough time to decide what we would do with the fuel later.
Presently, there are several ways of “dry” storage of the spent fuel assemblies of light water reactors. One of the most applied ways is container storage. Containers are very safe and resistant to emergencies. Besides, they are very economical: you don’t have to spend much money on them. In Russia we have shipping packaging sets – containers for transportation of all types of spent fuel assemblies. However, this technology requires high production capacities for timely production of necessary packaging sets.
There is one more way to store SNF “dry”: long-term “dry” storage facilities. You will not have to spend much money to build such a facility but you will have to spend a lot on its maintenance. Presently, the Mining Chemical Combine is building such a facility. Long-term “dry” storage facilities are supposed to help us to dispose of the SNF accumulated in the cooling ponds of RBMK-1000 NPPs and are equally good for WWER-1000 fuel assemblies.
By 2030 we have to increase the share of nuclear power plants in the total electricity production to 25%. More NPPs will produce more SNF. So, we will need more long-term storage facilities. Today, we have a clear picture of the future of our nuclear power industry and can start developing a system approach “dry” storage of SNF. In theory we already know how to solve this problem, what we need is financing.
Today, Russia is actively integrating into the world nuclear market and we need to create an efficient system of logistics (transportation, packaging, storage) – a system that will be compatible with the standards applied in Europe, South-East Asia, Japan. The President of Russia has appeared with an initiative to create international centers for long-term storage and treatment of spent nuclear fuel. One such center is supposed to be created in Russia, in Siberia, at the Zheleznogorsk Mining Chemical Combine or at the Krasnokamensk Mining Company. This will be one more step towards the establishment of an international uranium enrichment center in Irkutsk.
Our key long-term goal is technologies of closed nuclear fuel cycle – a system that will allow us to no longer depend on uranium reserves and to have fuel for hundreds of years. Presently, we are just starting research aimed at designing a safe and highly competitive platform for our future nuclear power industry. As soon as we decide on the platform, we will be able to solve the problem of accumulated spent nuclear fuel. As soon as we prove the competitiveness of the fast-breeder reactors, we may start processing accumulated SNF for those reactors. That’s why the work on new effective SNF treatment technologies must be part of our new technological platform.
The current reforms in the nuclear sector are aimed at ensuring stable and effective energy supply in Russia. In our country nuclear power industry has always been under state control and ownership. The reforms are supposed to effectively combine state control with new competitive environment. Market mechanisms will help us to effectively compete with our rivals. However, new forms of ownership will have no negative effect on the safety of nuclear power production.
The state will always be the key guarantor of the safe use of nuclear technologies and the effective treatment of radioactive waste. But in order to be able to do it well the state should create an efficient national legislative system. Different countries have different models of development of nuclear industry: most of them are based on combination of state and private capitals. The state should specify its national policy (goal) and strategy (long-term program), by means of legislation, to attract necessary resources – infrastructure, modern technologies, highly-qualified personnel – and, most importantly, to ensure long-term financing.
We can’t privatize our nuclear sector for attracting capital: it is strategically and political important for our country. Recently, we established Atomenergoprom, a 100% state-owned holding. In order to overcome the contradictions between state and private business, we have decided to apply the concept of state-private partnership – an institutional and organizational alliance between the state and the business for implementing large-scale development projects in strategically important sectors. This is not just investments, concessions and guarantees, this is a complex of contractual relations between owner, investors, suppliers, regulating bodies and authorities. The responsibilities, power and spheres of activity of the parties should be clearly delimited by relevant laws.
Concession is one of the widest spread forms of state-private partnership under big projects. Our legislation also has such a standard. Concession is a system of relations between the state and private legal and physical entity based on concession of the right to use state property under contract, for payment and on condition of return and to carry out activities constituting state monopoly. Unlike contract and leasing, concession is based on long-term relations and allows both parties to carry out strategic planning of their activities. Concession gives private companies a free hand in administration and management. At the same time, the state is given sufficient levers for influencing the partner if he breaks the terms of the contract and for protecting public interests. In case of concession, the state concedes the right to use its property but retains the right to manage it.
In order to effectively develop our nuclear industry and enter the world market, we need not only state financing under federal target programs but also infrastructure projects based on state-private partnership. Nuclear, radiation and ecological safety is the responsibility of the state and, today, the state must guarantee that the process of treatment of spent nuclear fuel and radioactive waste will be safe and will have no negative effects on the coming generations. Only state companies can provide such a guarantee. However, this does not mean that private companies cannot be involved in the final stage of the nuclear fuel cycle. Particularly, they can carry out such operations as transportation and even long-term storage of spent fuel assemblies.
Today, we need organizations and companies ensuring continuous scientific-technical and organizational-financial management of treatment of spent nuclear fuel, transportation, long-term storage and reprocessing or final isolation of spent fuel assemblies. Obviously, the expenses on the final stage of the nuclear fuel cycle will increase the cost of the production. So, we should find economically effective ways to store spent nuclear fuel. For this purpose, we should theoretically reconsider the whole long-term cycle of SNF treatment.
