THE SHIPMENT OF EMPTY FRESH-FUEL PACKAGES

If empty fuel-element packages are shipped under schedule 4 “empty packages as excepted packages”, the consignee will receive packages with an external contamination below 0.4/0.04 Bq/cm² (SS6) or -R-1), respectively. The internal contamination is limited to 40/400 Bq/cm². The complexity of the internal structure of such packages results in a potentially high total contamination, well above the acceptable working limits for areas not controlled as potentially contaminated areas. Some fuel fabrication plants require a certificate of no contamination (below 0.4/0.04 Bq/cm²) and/or a consignment limit (e.g. total alpha emitter content below 5,000 Bq) in order to comply with their internal procedures (and possible legal requirements). Such certificates are difficult to deliver, due to the complex internal structure of such packages, on a routine basis. A complete whole package verification to certify these very low limits is very time consuming. A workaround was developed in order to comply with these requirements. Before the start of the campaign, the package is thoroughly verified and controlled for absence of contamination. Verification may be performed by two different people, one who is independent from our company. Proper certification of the absence of any contamination and a total amount of alpha emitters below 5,000 Bq is issued by the health physics service. After each step in the campaign (loading in the fuel fabrication plant, and unloading at the nuclear power plant), the health physics/radioprotection staff members of the concerned installation issue a certificate stating that, based upon the former certificate, their measurements, and the events which occurred under their responsibility that the package remains free from any contamination (above the 0.4/0.04 Bq/cm² limit) and (if applicable, apart from the fuel elements present) no alpha activity above 5,000 Bq is present. This certification allows the transport to be executed without supplementary provisions.