Earl Easton

Division of Spent Fuel Storage and Transportation

U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission

Dry Cask Storage

of Nuclear Spent Fuel

2

U.S. Commercial Nuclear

Power Plants

3

Commercial Nuclear Power

Generation

4

Current Expiration Dates for

existing Reactor Licenses

5

Proposed New Nuclear Power Plants

6

Existing Commercial Spent Fuel

Storage Facilities

7

Spent Fuel Storage by State

Spent Fuel Storage by State

Impacts Associated with Transfer of Spent Nuclear Fuel from Spent Fuel Storage

Pools to Dry Storage After Five Years of Cooling, EPRI 11/10

SOURCE:

Spent Fuel Storage over Time

Spent Fuel Management

Current practice is to move

fuel to dry storage when

reactor storage pools become

filled.

Spent Fuel Storage Casks

12

Preparation of Empty

Canister

13

Fuel Loading in Transfer Cask

Welding of Canister Lid

15

Transfer of Canister

into Overpack

16

Transfer of Overpack to

ISFSI Pad

Storage Cask Array on

ISFSI Pad

NAC MPC Dual-Purpose Canister System

Connecticut Yankee ISFSI

Susquehanna Dry Cask

Storage

Susquehanna uses a horizontal storage module, a Transnuclear model

NUHOMS 52-B. Note the transporter and alignment of the transport cask so

that the canister containing the spent nuclear fuel can be pushed into the

storage module by a hydraulic ram.

Impacts Associated with Transfer of Spent Nuclear Fuel from Spent Fuel Storage Pools

to Dry Storage After Five Years of Cooling, EPRI 11/10

SOURCE:

Evolving Spent Fuel

Management Program

• Blue Ribbon Commission on America’s

Nuclear Future

• Revising the Paradigm on Spent Fuel

storage

• Waste Confidence Decision

BRC Recommendations

• DOE or FEDCORP may submit an

application for a dry cask storage facility

to NRC - focused on orphan sites?

• Proceeding could be similar to Private

Fuel Storage Application

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Revising the Paradigm Program goals

• Technical basis and regulating long-term storage (100+ years)

• Transition to risk-informed and performance-based regulation

• Evaluate spent fuel storage and transport regulations

• Address issues with transporting very old fuel

• Cradle to grave view including stakeholder input

• Near-Term

– Evaluate key aging issues important for eventual transportation

– Identify issues requiring further research (e.g. high burnup fuel)

• Long-term

– Demonstration program

– Known condition of spent fuel consistent with transportation requirements

Revising the Paradigm Propose evaluations

Example: Cladding Integrity

• Safety Functions

– Primary fission product barrier

– Geometry control

– Defense in Depth

• Technical Challenges

– Higher burnup levels

– Temperature effects

– New cladding types

– In-situ monitoring in sealed

canisters 25

Example: Canister Integrity

• Safety Functions

– Confinement

– Inert environment

– Criticality control

• Technical Challenges

– Long-term corrosion

– Basket properties

– Absorber efficiency

– Monitoring sealed internals

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Example: Overpack

Performance

• Safety Functions

– Shielding

– Heat transfer

– Robustness against severe

events

• Technical Challenges

– Long-term degradation

– Response to external natural

events and external disruption

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Waste Confidence Rule

28

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Waste Confidence Rule

Waste Confidence Rule

31

Waste Confidence Rule

- Schedule

Questions ?

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