The challenges of nuclear waste management from a life cycle perspective

Transcription

1 Engineering Conferences International ECI Digital Archives Life Cycle Assessment and Other Assessment Tools for Waste Management and Resource Optimization Proceedings The challenges of nuclear waste management from a life cycle perspective Andrea Paulillo Department of Chemical Engineering, University College London, UK, andrea.paulillo.14@ucl.ac.uk Stephen Palethorpe National Nuclear Laboratory, UK Andrew M. illiken Sellafield Ltd., UK Roland VClift Centre for Environmental Strategy, University of Surrey, UK Paola Lettieri Department of Chemical Engineering, University College London, UK Follow this and additional works at: Part of the Engineering Commons Recommended Citation Andrea Paulillo, Stephen Palethorpe, Andrew M. illiken, Roland VClift, and Paola Lettieri, "The challenges of nuclear waste management from a life cycle perspective" in "Life Cycle Assessment and Other Assessment Tools for Waste Management and Resource Optimization", Professor Umberto Arena, Second University of Naples, Italy Professor Thomas Astrup, Denmark Technical University, Denmark Professor Paola Lettieri, University College London, United Kingdom Eds, ECI Symposium Series, (2016). This Abstract and Presentation is brought to you for free and open access by the Proceedings at ECI Digital Archives. It has been accepted for inclusion in Life Cycle Assessment and Other Assessment Tools for Waste Management and Resource Optimization by an authorized administrator of ECI Digital Archives. For more information, please contact franco@bepress.com.

2 The challenges of Nuclear Waste Management from a Life Cycle perspective Andrea Paulillo 1, Dr. Stephen Palethorpe 2, Mr. Andrew Milliken 3, Prof. Roland Clift 4, Prof. Paola Lettieri 1 1 Department of Chemical Engineering, University College London 2 National Nuclear Laboratory 3 Sellafield Ltd. 4 Centre for Environmental Strategy, The University of Surrey

3 Presentation outline Introduction Nuclear industry in the UK Project objectives Radiological Impact Assessment framework Critical Group methodology Compartment-type methodology Qualitative comparison LCA scenario Conclusions and future work

4 Nuclear Industry in the UK Share of electricity generation: 20% at % by 2050 Some numbers: 8 Operating Power Plants (9.5 TWe) 5 Planned Power Plants (15.6 TWe) 11 Power Plants Under Decommissioning 2 Operating Reprocessing Plants (due to be closed by 2018/20) UK nuclear power generation reactors map

5 Nuclear Waste in the UK Waste proportion by activity Waste proportion by type Defence 0.66% Medical & Industrial 1.15% Fuel fabrication & uranium enrichment 5.17% Nuclear power reactors 16.44% Nuclear energy R&D 5.58% VLLW 63.15% ILW 6.36% HLW 0.02% LLW 30.46% Spent fuel reprocessing 71.01% Key questions: How to deal with Spent Nuclear Fuel: Direct Disposal or Reprocessing? What to do with the end-process Solid Nuclear Waste? How to dispose of it?

6 Life Cycle Assessment The issue. Where are radionuclides included? Nowhere!

7 Project objectives Develop a high-level Life Cycle Assessment approach for assessing the environmental impact performance of radioactive releases and nuclear waste. Develop a Life Cycle Assessment scenario to demonstrate the approach. Analyse alternative strategic options for nuclear waste management.

8 General framework Inventory Fate Analysis Exposure Analysis Dose Estimation Risk Evaluation

9 General framework Inventory Fate Analysis Environmental concentration E.g. Air, freshwater, Sea water, Soil Exposure Analysis Dose Estimation Models 1. Numerical 2. Analytical 3. Compartment-type Risk Evaluation

10 General framework Inventory Fate Analysis Exposure Analysis Dose Estimation Risk Evaluation Human exposure to radionuclides and ionising radiation Pathways Inhalation Ingestion Plume immersion Ground deposition

11 General framework Inventory Fate Analysis Exposure Analysis Dose Estimation Effective dose Stochastic effects Risk Evaluation

12 General framework Inventory Fate Analysis Exposure Analysis Dose Estimation Risk Evaluation Risk of detrimental effect (i.e. cancer)

13 General framework Inventory Fate Analysis Variable Fixed Exposure Analysis Dose Estimation Risk Evaluation

14 Critical Group methodology Direct discharges Solid waste IAEA Generic models (2002) RWM Ltd. Post-Closure Safety Assessment (2010)

15 Key features Compartment-type methodology o USErad o Level III Mackay models Fugacity concept for material transfers Homogenously mixed compartments Steady-state conditions o 8 compartments Air, fresh and sea water, natural and agricultural soil Freshwater and marine sediments, and groundwater (under development) o 2 Spatial scales Continental and global Picture taken from CalTox website o Only element/radionuclide-specific parameters are used (no predictive equation)

16 Qualitative discussion Critical Group methodology Risk per Bq released Compartment-type methodology Risk per Bq released Air Sea water Air Sea water I E E-14 I E E-10 + Results accuracy + Largely established in the nuclear industry - Worst case scenario - Location-dependent results - Poor knowledge on GDF behaviour + Average impact + Consistent with toxicity potential methodologies - Results accuracy - Partition factors - Poor knowledge on GDF behaviour

17 Scenario UK approach for the management of SNFs Primary Energy Water Virgin materials Extraction and processing of materials Energy and chemicals production THORP Spent Fuel Assembly Head end, Chemical Separation, Product purification and finishing PuO 2 UO 3 MOx fuel manufacturing plant MOx Fuel Central off-gas and Stack Liquid Effluent Treatment Solid Waste Management Background system Aerial/Liquid emissions Geological Disposal Facility Foreground system Aerial emissions Liquid emissions Radioactive emissions Aerial/Liquid emissions Functional unit: Amount of AGR spent fuels that produced 1 TJ of electricity

18 Conclusions There is a need to develop a standard framework for assessing radionuclide impact. A new framework has been developed, and two methodologies have been derived. A qualitative comparison has been presented. Current challenges Complete the groundwater compartment in the compartmental model. Compare quantitatively the two developed methodologies. Time factor (solid waste vs direct discharges). Future work o o Real-data collection on site (Sellafield). Apply the LCA to the reference scenario (UK approach to Nuclear Waste Management).

19 Acknowledgements

20 Thanks