Year
2010
Abstract
Most of the packagings designed to transport HLW generated by reprocessing of spent fuel are heavy packagings, capable of taking high quantities of material, and designed to be transported by rail. The aim is to reduce the quantity of transports and increase as much as possible the quantity of HLW in one transport. Due to the fact that we had to transport HLW issued from reprocessing activities on Belgian fuel from UK to Belgium, the transport has in any case to cross the Channel, making the transport by train or road of a heavy packaging not the most effective way of transporting in regard of the costs and the safety. it needed for example to overload in total 4 times for rail transport : near Dounreay (UK) as Dounreay is not connected to the grid, in the UK port, in the Belgian port, and finally near Mol (B) as Mol is neither connected to the grid. A first feasibility study concluded on the advantages of a transport by truck, within weight and dimensions limits allowed for normal road transport, and crossing the Channel on Ro-Ro vessels. The presentation will focus on the difficulties encountered when designing the packaging, as well as the difficulties encountered when organizing the transport (mainly the difficulty of RoRo sea transport) 1. The design of the R 74 was a challenge : due the size of the waste and the necessity to transport as much as possible waste, a very large opening was necessary. The associated closure devices created different difficulties to fulfill all requirements for accidental conditions. 2. When organizing the transport, all regular lines between UK and Belgium, Netherlands and north of France were contacted. The presentation will give more information about all actions taken, and the difficulties raised by the IMO regulations.