Potential Fuel Damage Within a Shipping Cask Following a Postulated Impact Accident

British Nuclear Fuels plc has, for many years, been involved in the transport of spent nuclear fuel to its Sellafield reprocessing and waste management complex in Cumbria, UK. The Company operates through its subsidiary, Pacific Nuclear Transport plc (PNTL) for sea transport from the Far East, and is a major shareholder in Nuclear Transport plc (NTL), covering transport from Europe. The Nuclear Criticality safety of spent fuel transport requires engineered safeguards which are effective under both normal and accident conditions. The IAEA Transport Regulations provide the framework for safety assessments, and the large scale mechanical integrity of shipping casks is demonstrated by various methods, including drop tests.