Sources of Radiation Fuel Cycle High Level Waste

Sources of Radiation Fuel Cycle – High Level Waste Disposal IAEA Day 4 - Lecture 8 (3) 1

High Level Waste Disposal IAEA 2

High Level Waste Disposal IAEA 3

High Level Waste - HLW Ø Refers to long-life wastes from reprocessing (“firstcycle aqueous raffinate”) except in USA where there is currently no reprocessing Ø From Purex reprocessing, one 175 liter can containing 150 liters of HLW glass from 2 MTHM of SNF (better than 5: 1 volume reduction) Ø DOE vitrified HLW uses 625 liter can Ø Dry storage of HLW containers IAEA 4

Vitrified High Level Waste Loading silos with canisters containing vitrified high‑level waste in UK, each disc on the floor covers a silo holding ten canisters IAEA 5

Yucca Mountain Nevada USA IAEA

Yucca Mountain Nevada USA IAEA 7

HLW Disposal Canisters IAEA 8

Transuranic Waste Disposal Waste Isolation Pilot Project (WIPP) IAEA 9

Transuranic Waste Disposal IAEA 10

Transuranic Waste Disposal IAEA 11

Material Balance in the Nuclear Fuel Cycle Typical for the operation of a 1000 MWe nuclear power reactor Mining 22, 400 tonnes of 1% uranium ore Milling 280 tonnes of uranium oxide concentrate (224 t U) Conversion 331 tonnes UF 6 (with 224 t U) Enrichment 35 tonnes UF 6 (with 24 t enriched U, balance is tails) Fuel Fabrication 27 tonnes UO 2 (with 24 t enriched U) Reactor Operation 7, 000 million k. Wh of electricity Spent Fuel 27 tonnes containing 240 kg plutonium, 23 t uranium (0. 8% U-235), 720 kg fission products, also transuranics IAEA 12

Where to Get More Information The Uranium Institute http: //www. uilondon. org The Uranium Information Centre http: //www. uic. com. au Institute for Energy and Environmental Research http: //www. ieer. org Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (HHS) http: //www. atsdr. cdc. gov Australian Academy of Science http: //www. science. org. au IAEA 13

Where to Get More Information World Information Service on Energy (WISE Uranium Project) http: //www. antenna. nl/~wise/uranium/ International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) http: //www. iaea. or. at/worldatom/publications/earthsci/ugem. html US DOE Environmental Management http: //www. em. doe. gov/idb 96/sect 5. html USDOE Energy Information Administration http: //www. eia. doe. gov/cneaf/nuclear/uia/ USNRC www. nrc. gov IAEA 14