session 2a india

8/3/2019 Session 2a India

1/26

Indian strategy formanagement of spent

fuel fromNuclear Power Reactors

S.Basu, India


2/26


3/26

Nuclear energy is to meet 25% to 50% of the

total energy requirement

Nuclear capacity will reach 20 Gwe and moreby 2020

200 Gwe and above generation capacity is

targeted by the middle of the century


4/26

Large nuclear energy requirement

Limited Uranium resources


5/26

Spent Fuel is a resource for

India

All spent fuel will be reprocessed

Storage of spent fuel is an interim

activity


6/26

Indian three stageprogramme

envisages


7/26

I Stage : Pressurized Heavy

water reactor with Natural

Uranium fuel

Interim storage in spent fuel storage pools and

subsequent reprocessing


8/26

II Stage : U-Pu based

Fast Breeder Reactors

based on MOX/metallic fuel

Interim storage of spent fuel in

reactor/water pool & Reprocessingin fast reactor fuel cycle facilities.


9/26

III Stage: Th-Pu and Th-U233

(MOX) based reactors

Interim storage of above fuel and

subsequent reprocessing of

Th-Pu-U233 or Th-U233 fuel


10/26

Reprocessing of short cooled fuel

Aqueous reprocessing of oxide fuel

Aqueous/Pyro chemical reprocessing for

metallic fuel

Fast reactor fuel reprocessing


11/26

Fast reactor spent fuel storage

Initial cooling in reactor

Sodium removal

Interim Storage in water pools


12/26

Thorium fuel reprocessing

Three component reprocessing, Th Pu U233

Two component reprocessing, Th U233

U232 related issues

Thorium storage


13/26

Recent nuclear agreements

opened up possibility for

LWRs of various types based on enriched

Uranium

Interim storage and subsequent reprocessing

of oxide spent fuel ( High burnup fuel)


14/26

Pressurized Heavy Water Fuel using

Recycled Uranium (oxide)

Uranium in spent fuel ofLWRs is slightly enriched.

Suitable for use in PHWRs.

Interim storage and Reprocessing of

Recycled Uranium based Spent Fuel


15/26

Other impact of nuclear agreement

is availability of Natural Uraniumfrom foreign sources

PHWRs based on natural Uraniumobtained from foreign sources

Interim storage and reprocessing of

spent fuel


16/26

Spent fuel storage pool

Intermediate storage

Adequate cooling period

Water cooled

Buffer for the period between discharge from

reactor and reprocessing


17/26

Storage period for spent fuel

Longer storage of spent fuel simplifies thereprocessing and waste management systems

Shorter storage period results in earlier

availability of Pu for power generation

Early reprocessing would require storage ofhigh level waste for longer period before

vitrification


18/26

Reprocessing requirements

Natural Uranium (Indian) - PHWR

Natural Uranium (Foreign) - PHWR

Enriched Uranium- LWRs of four types

Recycled Uranium(LWR fuel repro.) - PHWR

Fast reactor MOX fuel

Fast reactor metallic fuel

Th Pu U233 fuel

Th U233 fuel


19/26

Waste management

High level waste is vitrified and

stored in interim storage facilityCesium and Strontium recovery is

planned


20/26

Spent fuel Transportation

All transportation will be through land

routes using transfer casks and trailers

meeting all regulatory requirements

For Coastal sites Reprocessing facilities

are co-located with power reactors . Thiswill minimize fuel transportation in public

domain


21/26

Larger size Integrated Nuclear

Recycle Plant

* So far smaller size reprocessing plants were

co-located with waste management and fuelfabrication facilities

* Future plants will be based on integrated

facility for reprocessing and wastemanagement. Fuel fabrication facility will also

be integrated in most cases


22/26

Challenges : construction and operation of

larger size plants

Extension of available technology; for low and

high burn up fuel

Use of newer equipment

Cost reduction


23/26

Reprocessing and fabrication of metallic fuel

Pyro chemical technique for reprocessing

Electro reduction technique for conversion

from oxide to metal Metallic fuel fabrication

Commercial scale operation


24/26

Present activities in the back end

Operation of small size plants

Construction and commissioning of two more

reprocessing plants and associated facilities(augmentation activities)

Design and construction two large size

integrated plants, one for PHWR and the other

for fast reactor spent fuel

Plant designs aim at significant reduction in

discharges & improvement in safety & security


25/26

Safety Guides

Comprehensive safety codes and guides are

required for the back end of fuel cycle

Should cover reprocessing ,waste

management and repository


26/26

Conclusion

Uranium Resource constraint ; Countries

aiming large and sustained nuclear generation

has to opt for closed fuel cycle

Waste volume; Significant reduction in waste

volume is possible only through closed fuel

cycle route

Indian nuclear recycle programme is poised

for major expansion, matching the enhanced

power generation plans

session 2a india

Documents