Shipment of Irradiated HEU Nuclear Fuel from Nigeria to China

The repatriation of the Nigerian Research Reactor 1 (NIRR-1) irradiated highly-enriched uranium (HEU) nuclear fuel core to China was completed in December 2018. This effort was conducted by the Center for Energy Research and Training (CERT) of the Nigerian Atomic Energy Commission (NAEC) with the support of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), the China Institute of Atomic Energy (CIAE), and the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) National Nuclear Security Administration’s (NNSA) Office of Material Management and Minimization (M3). The NIRR-1, which is a Miniature Neutron Source Reactor (MNSR) type, is operated by CERT and is located at the Ahmadu Bello University in Zaria, Nigeria. Similar MNSRs were commissioned by CIAE and are located in China (3), Ghana, Iran, Nigeria, Pakistan, and Syria. To date, four out of the eight MNSRs located in the six countries have been converted. The NIRR-1 HEU removal process involved upgrades to the facility to support the shipment process, as well as development of licensing and packaging for the handling of the irradiated HEU nuclear materials. The HEU core was discharged from the NIRR-1 facility’s vessel using a shielded transfer cask and was then packaged in the TUK-145/C transport package, which provided shielding and protection for the HEU core during transport to China. Following importation into China and unloading, the irradiated core was placed into interim storage. The present paper describes the details of the preparation and execution of this shipment and the lessons learned.