Transport of irradiated fuel rods or activated components

The BG 18 packaging started European transport operations in 2002 ; it is designed to transport fresh or irradiated fuel rods or segments, and high activated components. Due to the large quantity of transports and to new emerging contents, TNB needs a second packaging able to continue those transport activities on a long term basis. At the other side, EDF needed to replace its old R62 packaging, operated to transport irradiated fuel rods from the EDF plants to hotlabs, mainly the CEA Star facility. EDF therefore ordered a new concept to ROBATEL Industries. Both needs were combined: TNB and ROBATEL Industries jointed, a new packaging named R72 has been developed, based on a ROBATEL Industries concept and the Transnubel transport needs and experiences. This packaging is designed to be loaded or unloaded in a lot of different power plants (France, Belgium, Switzerland, Germany, Spain, ¼) or hotlabs ( CEA, SCK Mol, Studsvik, Halden, PSI, ITU, ¼), and uses the same interfaces (handling devices and tools) as the BG18 packaging, in order to avoid additional costs or cold tests. The use of adequate shielding material, including for neutron shielding, allows a very broad content: -UO2 and MOX fuel : 120 000 MWd/tM (Burn-up) , 6 months (cooling time) -Research reactor fuel (MTR fuel, ¼) : Enrichment up to 20% and Burn-up up to 75% (atom %). Extension in progress by the French Authorities. -Radioactive sources and irradiated reactor core components. The design has been finished in 2006, and the drop tests have been realized with success in January, allowing the safety file to be introduced to the French Authorities; the validation process in Europe is foreseen during the second half of 2007. The construction of the first packaging will be finished early 2008.