Centralized Interim Storage and a National Interim Storage Strategy. Robert Petroski ANS WISE August 1, 2005

Transcription

1 Centralized Interim Storage and a National Interim Storage Strategy Robert Petroski ANS WISE August 1, 2005

2 Nuclear Power 103 operating reactors supply 20% of the nation s electricity Emissions free Secure fuel supply Part of the nation s energy policy Facing potential future expansion

3 Spent nuclear fuel Nuclear power s waste product Is highly radioactive for long lifetimes Plans for disposal exist, but no facility Significant public concerns Must be properly managed before disposal

4 About Interim Storage The storage of spent nuclear fuel between its leaving a reactor and its disposal Main function is shielding Has two basic configurations Spent fuel pools Dry casks Currently almost exclusively at reactor sites A necessary part of the nuclear fuel cycle

5 Centralized Interim Storage One or more large, independent dry storage facilities Accepts fuel from multiple reactors Requires transportation of spent fuel Currently being considered by industry and Congress

6 Safety of Interim Storage During regular storage: Dry cask storage is environmentally benign Thick shielding makes radioactivity harmless to human health During accidents and natural disasters: Extremely heavy cask construction makes release of radioactive material extremely unlikely Can safely withstand earthquakes, tornados, floods, fires, and lightning The NRC has stated that dry cask storage remains safe for at least one hundred years

7 Safety of Transportation Centralized interim storage is as safe as atreactor storage Transportation adds a very slight risk Expected health impact of radiation, including accidents, is less than that of vehicle emissions Also a necessary part of the nuclear fuel cycle

8 Security of Interim Storage Difficult to disperse radioactive material due to: Extremely heavy cask construction Solid form of spent fuel Storage facilities are highly secured Theft risk low due to material properties No difference between centralized and at-reactor interim storage Above holds for transportation Transportation cask likened to an armored vehicle Transports are tracked and escorted Transportation sabotage is the primary risk

9 Economics of Interim Storage Economies of scale benefit centralized interim storage Economic benefits of using centralized interim storage are on a case-by-case basis Extra cost to move spent fuel already in dry storage Possible savings from spent fuel still in pools Depends on transportation cost Likely savings from spent fuel at shutdown or nearshutdown sites Centralized storage reduces costs of disposal Can make moving spent fuel from pools economical

10 Benefits of Centralized Interim Storage Primarily economic Lower overall system cost Less economic uncertainty Creates flexibility and reliability May prevent premature plant closures Establishes standards and infrastructure Cask design and handling equipment Transportation equipment

11 Private Fuel Storage A consortium of eight nuclear utilities Have proposed a centralized interim storage facility To be located on the Skull Valley Goshute Indian Reservation in Utah At the end of an eight year licensing process Would yield the outlined benefits Sufficient to service the existing reactor fleet Likely to encounter resistance after licensing State opposition Public opposition to transportation

12 Private Fuel Storage

13 Federal Interest Reduced system costs Potentially lower liability to utilities Reduced disposal costs Lower price for nuclear electricity Federal site demonstrates commitment to manage spent fuel Allows unhurried consideration of future spent fuel options Additional repositories, repository capacity Reprocessing Other disposal systems

14 Near-term Recommendations Support the proposed PFS site PFS facility yields centralized interim storage benefits Unlikely to create a similar or better federal site in the same timeframe Partially subsidize transportation costs to PFS System cost reduction is not seen by utilities Savings during disposal should offset upfront cost Facilitate transportation

15 Long-term Recommendations Institute an optimal interim storage infrastructure to service future nuclear reactors Create one or a few centralized interim storage sites Standardize spent fuel containers and handling equipment Begin looking for a site Guarantee acceptance of spent nuclear fuel Utilities should ultimately bear the cost Won t increase nuclear electricity prices

16 Implementation challenges Finding a willing site Likely require state support via state incentives Site selection should begin now Policy barriers Unlink interim storage from Yucca Mountain Obtaining legislative support Transportation opposition Acknowledge risk Risk management instead of risk avoidance

17 Conclusions Interim storage is a necessity, so it should be done in the best manner possible Using centralized storage benefits The public: cheaper, more secure energy Utilities: less economic uncertainty Government: allows for better decision making regarding disposal

18 Questions or Comments? Thank you for attending the 2005 WISE internship presentations Thanks to everyone who helped make this project a success Thanks to my fellow interns and everyone else who makes the WISE program run