Indian strategy for
management of spent
fuel from
Nuclear Power Reactors
S.Basu, India
Energy scenario in India
• At the present growth rate, Indian economy
will double every eight years
• Growing population
• Reaching well above per capita world average
consumption
• Nuclear energy is to meet 25% to 50% of the
total energy requirement
• Nuclear capacity will reach 20 Gwe and more
by 2020
• 200 Gwe and above generation capacity is
targeted by the middle of the century
• Large nuclear energy requirement
• Limited Uranium resources
Spent Fuel is a resource for
India
• All spent fuel will be reprocessed
• Storage of spent fuel is an interim
activity
Indian three stage
programme
envisages
I Stage : Pressurized Heavy
water reactor with Natural
Uranium fuel
Interim storage in spent fuel storage pools and
subsequent reprocessing
II Stage : U-Pu based
Fast Breeder Reactors
based on MOX/metallic fuel
Interim storage of spent fuel in
reactor/water pool & Reprocessing
in fast reactor fuel cycle facilities.
III Stage: Th-Pu and Th-U233
(MOX) based reactors
Interim storage of above fuel and
subsequent reprocessing of
Th-Pu-U233 or Th-U233 fuel
Fast reactor fuel reprocessing
• Reprocessing of short cooled fuel
• Aqueous reprocessing of oxide fuel
• Aqueous/Pyro chemical reprocessing for
metallic fuel
Fast reactor spent fuel storage
• Initial cooling in reactor
• Sodium removal
• Interim Storage in water pools
Thorium fuel reprocessing
• Three component reprocessing, Th – Pu –U233
• Two component reprocessing, Th – U233
• U232 related issues
• Thorium storage
Recent nuclear agreements
opened up possibility for
LWRs of various types based on enriched
Uranium
Interim storage and subsequent reprocessing
of oxide spent fuel ( High burnup fuel)
Pressurized Heavy Water Fuel using
Recycled Uranium (oxide)
Uranium in spent fuel of LWRs is slightly enriched.
Suitable for use in PHWRs.
Interim storage and Reprocessing of
Recycled Uranium based Spent Fuel
Other impact of nuclear agreement
is availability of Natural Uranium
from foreign sources
PHWRs based on natural Uranium
obtained from foreign sources
Interim storage and reprocessing of
spent fuel
Spent fuel storage pool
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Intermediate storage
Adequate cooling period
Water cooled
Buffer for the period between discharge from
reactor and reprocessing
Storage period for spent fuel
• Longer storage of spent fuel simplifies the
reprocessing and waste management systems
• Shorter storage period results in earlier
availability of Pu for power generation
• Early reprocessing would require storage of
high level waste for longer period before
vitrification
Reprocessing requirements
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Natural Uranium (Indian) - PHWR
Natural Uranium (Foreign) - PHWR
Enriched Uranium- LWRs of four types
Recycled Uranium(LWR fuel repro.) - PHWR
Fast reactor MOX fuel
Fast reactor metallic fuel
Th – Pu – U233 fuel
Th – U233 fuel
Waste management
High level waste is vitrified and
stored in interim storage facility
Cesium and Strontium recovery is
planned
Spent fuel Transportation
All transportation will be through land
routes using transfer casks and trailers
meeting all regulatory requirements
For Coastal sites Reprocessing facilities
are co-located with power reactors . This
will minimize fuel transportation in public
domain
Larger size Integrated Nuclear
Recycle Plant
* So far smaller size reprocessing plants were
co-located with waste management and fuel
fabrication facilities
* Future plants will be based on integrated
facility
for
reprocessing
and
waste
management. Fuel fabrication facility will also
be integrated in most cases
Challenges : construction and operation of
larger size plants
• Extension of available technology; for low and
high burn up fuel
• Use of newer equipment
• Cost reduction
Reprocessing and fabrication of metallic fuel
• Pyro – chemical technique for reprocessing
• Electro reduction technique for conversion
from oxide to metal
• Metallic fuel fabrication
• Commercial scale operation
Present activities in the back end
• Operation of small size plants
• Construction and commissioning of two more
reprocessing plants and associated facilities
(augmentation activities)
• Design and construction two large size
integrated plants, one for PHWR and the other
for fast reactor spent fuel
• Plant designs aim at significant reduction in
discharges & improvement in safety & security
Safety Guides
• Comprehensive safety codes and guides are
required for the back end of fuel cycle
• Should cover reprocessing ,waste
management and repository
Conclusion
• Uranium Resource constraint ; Countries
aiming large and sustained nuclear generation
has to opt for closed fuel cycle
• Waste volume; Significant reduction in waste
volume is possible only through closed fuel
cycle route
• Indian nuclear recycle programme is poised
for major expansion, matching the enhanced
power generation plans