OVERVIEW OF THE IAEA’S JOINT WORKING GROUP ON INTEGRATED SAFETY CASE FOR DUAL PURPOSE CASKS

Spent nuclear fuel is generated from the operation of nuclear reactors and needs to be safely managed following its removal from reactor cores. Spent nuclear fuels are usually stored in a reactor pool for a short period of time after defueling, and then they are shipped to its next destination for reprocessing, disposal, or further storage. In some countries, a concept of Dual Purpose Cask (DPC) is considered as an attractive option for further storage. This is because of that the concept increases flexibility for storage capacity, as well as its economic efficiency that can reduce the complexity of handling highly radioactive spent fuels. The management of spent fuel using a DPC involves storage of spent fuel as well as on-site and off-site transportation before and after storage. Most countries require package design approval for the DPC to be transported. In addition, it is required in many countries to have a license for storage of the spent fuel in the DPC or a license for a storage facility that contains DPCs. Therefore, demonstration of compliance of the DPC with national and international transport regulations as well as with the storage requirements is necessary. In June 2010, the IAEA organized “International Conference on Management of Spent Fuel from Nuclear Power Reactors”. In this conference, many countries expressed their interest on harmonizing both transport and storage safety cases for DPCs that has a possibility to establish an effective and integrated regulatory framework in a holistic manner. Taking into account the increasing needs among Member States, the IAEA set up a new working group following the conference to discuss how to develop an integrated safety case for both transportation and storage. This activity is planned to be completed in 2013. Currently, a technical report is being prepared as an outcome of this activity. In this paper, the IAEA’s approach to demonstrate the safety of DPCs in a holistic manner is described first, followed by the overview of the draft document. It also presents the difference between the conventional transport cask concept and the DPC concept.