ADVANCED SOLUTION FOR USED FUEL MANAGEMENT

When choosing the interim storage solution, two ways of dealing with used fuel elements are available: - wet interim storage inside pools - dry interim storage inside casks Both solutions have a lifetime of 50 to 100 years, after which the used fuel elements will certainly have to be transported to a final storage site, to a recycling plant or to another interim storage site. Performing these shipments involves dealing with new laws, new regulations, new safety requirements and a new public acceptance environment, more importantly it also means having access to new technologies. Thus, the solutions needed today by the utilities to manage their used fuel must be innovative and flexible. This article will describe the various solutions for managing used fuels proposed to the utilities bearing in mind the future problem of transferring these materials.