7 Oct (NucNet): Some countries are delaying the development of a “firm or single strategy” for dealing with spent nuclear fuel (SNF) because they face political and societal hurdles, a report by the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development’s Nuclear Energy Agency has said.
In a report ‘The Economics of the Back End of the Nuclear Fuel Cycle’, the Paris-based agency said governments should make “vigorous efforts” towards the establishment of deep geological repositories even if there may be reasons to extend interim storage.
The report said political and societal hurdles in some countries have resulted in challenges in the establishment of a national SNF strategy and as a result some countries have been holding off from making firm decisions.
These situations, together with the long timeframes often needed for the deployment of final repositories, have led to extended intermediate storage times, the report said.
Other factors that can influence continued long-term storage include the small volumes of waste accumulated in the country, difficulties with transport or site selection, or inadequate funding. In most cases, interim storage facilities were designed to operate for up to 50 years, but operational periods of 100 years or more are now being seen as probable.
But the report said that while long-lived solid radioactive waste and SNF have been safely and securely stored in member countries for several decades, the much-extended interim storage times raise questions in relation to long-term integrity and the safety of spent fuel elements.
The report noted that no civilian deep geological repository for SNF and high-level waste has yet been built, although relevant national legal and regulatory frameworks are in place with some examples of good progress seen in disposal programmes.
The technology has been developed and is expected to be fully implemented by the mid-2020s, when three deep geological repositories – in Finland, France and Sweden –are planned to become operational. The report said the most significant advances have occurred in countries with a long-term continuity in policy positions.
The report said public involvement in the establishment and implementation of an SNF management strategy is vital, and mechanisms to improve stakeholder participation and transparency should take high priority.
It urged governments to be vigilant in ensuring that funding systems for SNF management are stable and robust and that financial resources accrued by waste producers for the management of waste will be adequate and available when they are needed.
The report said it is essential to have “regular and frequent reviews” to allow for newly accrued knowledge on technical aspects and funding developments. Emerging shortfalls must be swiftly addressed and funds should be “ring-fenced” to ensure that resources are only used for the intended purpose.
The report is online: www.oecd-nea.org/ndd/pubs/2013/7061-ebenfc.pdf
