Western companies to manage spent fuel in Russia

Four western companies have joined efforts to propose cost-effective solutions for
spent nuclear fuel management in the north-western part of Russia. The project will look
into shipping of spent fuel down to Mayak plant in Siberia for interim storage; and conduct
a fuel cycle analysis.

In the beginning of 1997, SKB (Sweden), Kvaerner Maritime (Norway), BNFL (UK) and
SGN (France) joined each other in an industrial group, with the purpose to propose cost-effective
solutions for spent nuclear fuel management in North-west Russia and to deal with funding
institutions.

French SGN is expert on various fuel retrieval and storage technologies, having experience
from projects in North-west Russia in co-operation with the Russian Ministry of Atomic Energy
(Minatom) and its research institutions. Kvaerner Maritime is managing projects concerning vital
links in the fuel cycle (such as provision of ships and railway wagons for spent fuel transport) and
evaluation of the situation in this area, under a Norwegian-Russian agreement. SKB is acting as
responsible for all activities related to the nuclear back end in Sweden. BNFL has experience in
Russia from projects in co-operation with the Mayak reprocessing plant.

The first part of the project will follow the closed fuel cycle principle established in Russia,
presuming shipment of spent nuclear fuel to Mayak plant for interim storage and further
reprocessing. Since the existing on-site storage facilities at Mayak are overfilled and inadequate
for long-term storage, the main intention of the industrial group is to provide Mayak with a long
term storage facility for spent nuclear fuel. Currently at Mayak, there is a partly built wet storage
facility available, that is to be upgraded in order to comply with modern design safety standards.
However, the industrial group will evaluate several alternative solutions (new dry storage facility,
new wet storage facility, or upgrading of the existing partly built wet storage facility) in order to
make the right decision.

The second part of the project is to look into possible ways of treating the spent fuel that can
not be reprocessed at Mayak, in particular damaged fuel, fuel from liquid metal cooled reactors
and fuel in circonium cladding.

For the time being, the Russian counterpart is the St. Petersburg Scientific Research Institute
of Industrial Technology (VNIPIET), a Minatom subject. The institute has 50 years’ experience in
spent nuclear fuel and radioactive waste management. Among other things, VNIPIET was the
chief designer of the storage facilities of the Northern Fleet, located in Andreeva guba and
Gremikha on the Kola Peninsula. Both storage facilities suffered accidents in the course of the 80’s
and are currently taken out of operation. VNIPIET is also a chief designer of the Belyanka class
(pr. no 11510) transport vessels. Two vessels of this class have been built, to transport and
process liquid radioactive waste. For the time being, the processing facilities on both of the vessels
are out of service.

According to representative of SGN C. Bonnet, the project is in progress. Specific agreements
have already been signed with VNIPIET, while the Mayak subproject has been submitted to the
funding bodies.

Read more:

• Follow-up of the AMEC declaration
• Handling of spent nuclear power plant fuel (Current Status,
  May 1997)

• Mayak reprocessing licence suspended
• Swedes initiate nuclear waste handling project on Kola

The Northern Fleet Report:

• Andreeva Bay: The accident at the storage facility for spent
  nuclear fuel

• Gremikha: The Accident at the storage facility for spent nuclear
  fuel assemblies

• Handling of spent fuel assemblies in the Northern Fleet