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CURRENT STATUS ON FAST REACTOR PROGRAMIN KAZAKHSTAN

Presented at the 48 th Annual Meeting of the Technical Working Group on Fast Reactors

IAEA, Obninsk, 25-29 May, 2015by S. Andropenkov,

National Atomic Company “Kazatomprom”

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GENERAL SITUATION

● Total installed electric capacity – 20 GWe

● Thermal plants (gas, coal) – 87 %

● Hydro plants – 12 %

● Others – 1%

Total Uranium reserves of Kazakhstan is about 20% of world reserves.

Last year President of the Republic of Kazakhstan gave an

assignment to Government of the Republic of Kazakhstan to prepare a

draft decision on the placements and configurations of the nuclear power

plants for construction in Kazakhstan. According to this request,

Government of the Republic of Kazakhstan established the Commission

to make proposals for placements and configurations of a nuclear power

plants in the Republic of Kazakhstan. As a result of the activity of the

Commission two potentially suitable area of the NPP: Kurchatov district

(East Kazakhstan oblast) and district near Lake Balkhash (Ulken village)

were selected. At present time Ministry of energy finalizes the proposals

relating to configurations of NPPs.

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Atomic scientific-industrial complex of Republic of

Kazakhstan consist of:

Uranium mining, production and power industry:

●Enterprises of uranium mining and geological searching

(using the mining and underground leaching techniques);

●Two plants of U3O8 production;

●Metallurgical plant producing uranium fuel powder and pellets

for fuel assemblies;

●MAEC at Aktau is used for production of heat, electricity and

desalination of water and based on three energy blocks using

natural gas and one nuclear unit with fast breeder reactor BN-350.

The fast breeder reactor BN-350 at Aktau was commissioned in

November 1972 and finally shutdown in April 1999.

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Three different type of the research reactors and non reactor test facility on the territory of the

former Semipalatinsk Nuclear Test Site and one research reactor and sub critical assembly nearly Almaty are exploited for the investigation in field of reactors nuclear safety and other type of investigations

These are:● IWG-1M - thermal light water heterogeneous vessel reactor with light water moderator and coolant, beryllium reflector, maximum thermal power - 35 MW, period of continuous operation at the power 35 MW is 4 hours;● IGR - impulse homogeneous uranium-graphite thermal neutron reactor with graphite reflector. Maximum heat release is 5,2 GJ (1 GJ in a pulse), maximum thermal neutron flux 0,7*1017 cm-2s-1;● RA - thermal neutron high temperature gas heterogeneous reactor with air coolant, zirconium hydride moderator, and beryllium reflector. Thermal power is about 0.5 MW.● EAGLE – non reactor test facility for reactor fuel element melt process due to severe accident studding.

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●WWR-K - light water reactor, power - 10 MW. Reactor was run in 1969, temporarily stopped in 1988 for improving seismic resistance level. Now WWR-K is in operation with thermal power 6 MW.

The critical assembly reactor core

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BN-350 DECOMMISSIONING

� BN-350 reactor was finally shutdown in April, 1999

according to Kazakhstan Government Decree

� Currently, according to the “Plan of Priority Measures ”

BN-350 is put in “safestore” condition

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BN-350 decommissioning Plan of Priority Measures

“Plan of Priority Measures for the BN-350

decommissioning” (PPM) – the main document that provides

the framework for the reactor decommissioning.

The reason for the PPM creation – absence of the BN-

350 Decommissioning Project at the moment when the decision

was made for reactor shutdown (April 1999).

The main activities (PPM sections) reflect the specific

features of the BN-350 reactor (handling with liquid metal

coolant, spent nuclear fuel, accumulated in the spent fuel pool)

and conditions of the reactor decommissioning (specifically,

non-availability of the Decommissioning Project).

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1. Measures on BN-350 decommissioning Project development.

2. Measures on safety provision of BN-350 during transitional

period.

3. Measures on sodium drainage and utilization.

4. Measures on spent fuel arrangement for long term storage.

5. Measures on radwastes handling.

Main decommissioning activities – PPM sections:

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Major actions of the “Plan of Priority Measures”

� Full fuel unloading of the reactor

� Packaging of spent fuel (SF) into sealed cans which provide

additional safety barrier

� Primary Sodium cleaning of Cs, Sodium drainage into storage

tanks

� Partial drainage of secondary sodium into storage tanks

� Processing of radwastes

� Buildings and structures preparation for “Safestore” conditions

� “Main Provisions of the BN-350 NPP D&D Project” were

developed and approved.

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1. Spent fuel arrangement for long term storage

2. Sodium coolant handling.

3. Construction of LRW processing facility.

4. Construction of SRW processing facility.

5. Preparation of reactor plant buildings and structures for

long term storage

6. Completion of the “BN-350 NPP D&D Project”

development

Phases :

(in accordance with “Main Provisions of the BN-350

NPP D&D Project”

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Spent fuel arrangement for long term storage

( 1 phase of construction)

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History

� The approach using large metal/concrete casks

(MCCs) for both transportation and storage (dual-

purpose or dual-use cask) (DUC) was selected for BN-

350 spent fuel placement for long-term storage using

dual use reinforced concrete cask.

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List of the main activities on SNF handling

� Designing and manufacturing of TCs

� Designing and construction the sites for temporary storage,

reloading and the storage facility

� Manufacturing experimental TC, testing and licensing of the TC

� Manufacturing of the equipment for TC transportation

� Transportation of BN-350 spent fuel and its arrangement for

long-term storage.

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Scheme of SNF handling

spent fuel cooling pondLong Term Storage Facility at “Baikal-1” site

Contracts on manufacturing 60

transport packages were

signed and manufacturing of

TCs has been performed

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Manufacturing TCs was completed on November

2010

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Basic parametersCapacity : 8 canisters with the spent fuel assemblies.

Transport Cask consists of:- Storage Metal Concrete Cask- Protective Damper Overpack.

Weight and sizes:- Storage Set :

net weight ≤ 86 t height - 5125 mmweight with SF ≤ 98 t diameter - 2400 mminternal volume: height – 4120 mm

diameter – 1500 mm- Protective Damper Overpack : weight - 26.2 t length - 6300 mmexternal diameter - 3140 mm

- Transport Package:net weight ≤ 112.2 т length - 6300 mmweight with SF ≤ 124.2 t diameter - 3140 mm

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MAEK’s Interim Spent Fuel

Storage Facility before transportation

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Long Term Storage Facility at “Baikal-1”

site after transportation

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Sodium coolant handling

( 2-nd phase of construction)

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Sodium handling

� Sodium cleaning from cesium

� Reactor drilling and sodium draining

� Sodium residuals removal

� Sodium processing into caustic

� Caustic processing into “geocement stone”

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Sodium handling (continued)

� The first stage consists of sodium cleaning from Cesium-137.

� The second stage includes the reactor internals drilling anddraining of cleaned sodium into tanks of storage.

� The third stage of the sodium treatment consists of processingof drained coolant into sodium hydroxide with the followingtransfer into solid form acceptable for disposal.

� During the fourth stage remains of sodium were removed frominner parts of the reactor unit. The location of sodium after thebulk draining depended on design particulars of the reactor andcircuits.

� The fifth stage is to transfer caustic into cementation compound, suitable for long-term storage and final disposal according to Kazakhstan regulations

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BN-350 vessel internals

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ГЦН-I

Обратный клапан

Задвижка Ду500

i=0.005

×

i=0.005

РЕАКТОР

i=0.005

i=0.005

i=0.005

×

Задвижка Ду600

ПТО

×

i=0.005

� Axonometric drawing of the reactor vessel and a loop of primary circuit

� The method selected was bicarbonization with the following flushing with distilled water.

� Experiments were fulfilled in Kazakhstan National Nuclear Center to test regimes of sodium residuals removal.

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Drilling facility

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� Development of drilling facility for drilling vessel internals.

� Development of special drainage channel.

� Manufacturing of drilling facility using experience gained on a mockup

model.

� Restoring origin GHS of the reactor vessel as auxiliary heating source in

case of emergency.

As a result, cleaning the primary coolant from cesium has reduced

activity in 105. The drilling was performed at a depth of 13.4 m in

sodium with temperature 280 ... 300 º C and drain the coolant from the

reactor vessel and BN-350 loops was carried out, including measures for

the storage of radioactive sodium before the processing. Sodium residues

removed by using bicarbonization method from the reactor vessel, the

loops of the 1st and 2nd circuits (removed about 400 kg of sodium).

Sodium handlingWhat has been done

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● SPF construction, start-up operations (completed)● Geocementation facility design has been

developed and construction is in progress.

465

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11 - Система отходящих газов (Off gas system)

3 - Бак суточный расходный (Day Tank)

11700

8480

5 - Реактор химический (Сhemical Reactor)6 - Т/обменник (Heat exchanger)

2 - Емкость хранения (Storage tank)

4 - Емкость разбавления ( Dilution Tank)

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11 - Система отходящих газов (Off gas system)

3 - Бак суточный расходный (Day Tank)

11700

8480

5 - Реактор химический (Сhemical Reactor)6 - Т/обменник (Heat exchanger)

2 - Емкость хранения (Storage tank)

4 - Емкость разбавления ( Dilution Tank)

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Current status

• By the results of feasibility study a method of selective sorption

has been selected.

• This approach has been confirmed by operation of pilot facility

• LRWPF Technical Design has been developed

• Expert review of LRWPF Technical Design has been conducted

• Engineering and geological survey for the construction site has

been completed including for the storage facility site of RW

solidified in containers

• LRWPF construction is in progress

LRW Processing facility (LRWPF)

construction (3-d phase of construction)

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Characterization of the BN-350 LRW

� LRW type:

- stillage residue from the evaporation facilities;

- sludge and sediments from the storage tanks bottoms

� Storage method:

- gathering in concrete tanks, lined with stainless steel;

� LRW concentration:

– 250 - 600 g/l.

� Amount and activity of LRW to be processed:

– 3300 m3 of distillate with total activity 3,2·108 MBq;

– 349 m3 of sludge and sediments with total activity 7,7·107 MBq

(including the sludge, produced during the processing).

� Nuclide composition:

– Cesium-134,137, Strontium-90, Cobalt-60, Manganese-54, isotopes of

uranium and plutonium.

SWT facility for initial LRW

processing at the BN-350 site

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� During the BN-350 operation time (~25 years) ∼ 6800 tons of

low and intermediate level waste have been gathered, ∼85% of

the total amount is low level SRW, located in the trenches of

SRW temporary storage at MAEC site.

� Existing temporary SRW storage does not meet up-to-date

Kazakhstan nuclear safety requirements and should be

decommissioned.

� SRW processing facility design has been developed

SRW processing facility (SRWPF)

(4-th phase of construction)

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Preparation of reactor plant buildings and structures for long term storage (5-th phase of construction)

� By the results of Comprehensive Engineering and

Radiation Survey (CERS), the scope of work has been

determined, contracts signed and repairing of building has

been started.

� For equipment – Surveillance and Maintenance according

to technological requirements.

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Spent Fuel Bath Tanks Processing Facility

Facility for processing of Na-K from spent fuel bath tanks.

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BN-350 Special System Handling(pending problems)

� Placement of 14 ‘cold’ traps of primary, secondary circuits and Na-K cooling system into radiation and fire safe state for long-term storage and subsequent utilization;

� Handling of spent filters of special ventilation system (characterization, decontamination, storage);