DEVELOPMENT OF NEW TRANSPORTATION SYSTEM FOR NATURAL UF6

Up to date, Natural Uranium Hexafluoride (hereinafter called as to UF6) is transported from overseas uranium conversion plants to Tokyo port by a liner ship, and then to Rokkasho uranium enrichment plant of Japan Nuclear Fuel Limited (hereinafter called as to JNFL) at Rokkasho-Mura in Aomori prefecture by land. According to the JNFL schedule for expanding the capacity of their uranium enrichment plant, the need for feed material (UF6) has increased. The current transportation equipments for 48Y cylinder used for the above transportation system consist of flat rack container, cylinder saddles, valve protector and fire protection covers (meeting to the requirement of 800\"C, 30 minutes of IAEA '96), and have to be handled respectively at the time of shipment. Therefore, it was supposed that the current transportation system (hereinafter called as to \"current system\") could not cope with the increasing need of the transportation in the near future.