Transportation of Irradiated Nuclear Fuel-Worldwide Experience

The transport of irradiated nuclear fuel for reprocessing has occurred for over 50 years. This history of this type of transportation traces its roots to the Manhattan Project. Transportation, like reprocessing, was a necessary part of the engineering development carried out in the US in the early 40's. Unfortunately, reprocessing has ceased to be a viable part of the US fuel cycle. Transportation, while limited in the US for obvious reasons, is, like reprocessing, a big business in the balance of the Western World. The annual amount of irradiated fuel transported around the world is approximately 6000 MTU. The US contribution was about 10%. This overall number has been reduced with changes in the former Soviet Union as reprocessing operations will be scaled back.