The document discusses the challenges of storing used nuclear fuel (UNF) in the United States. It notes that around 70,000 tons of UNF is currently stored at reactor sites, with 78% in wet storage pools and 22% in dry storage casks. However, pool storage is nearing capacity, so new UNF will need dry storage. It recommends establishing a consolidated interim storage facility to allow UNF to be centralized and standardized into appropriate storage containers. It also discusses how nuclear fuel reprocessing could reduce the volume of waste needing long-term repository storage by up to 6 times through recycling.

1. YGR OLUTIONSENE S
The Used Nuclear Fuel Challenge in the USA:
The View from Industry
Chris Phillips
EnergySolutions LLC, Richland, Washington
2nd Annual Used Fuel Strategy Conference
November 21-22, 2013
Charlotte, NC, U.S.A

2. E YGREN S ITULO ONS
The Open Fuel Cycle:
Site Storage of UNF in the U.S.A.
Reactor Site Type
Number
of Sites
Pool Storage Dry Cask Storage
Number of UNF
Assemblies
Metric Tons
Number of Dry
Storage Casks
Metric
Tons
Operating Sites with
solely Pool Storage
21 58,935 18,514 -- --
Operating Sites with
Pool & Dry Cask Storage
44 121,866 33,460 1,144 13,458
Totals for Operating
Sites
65 180,801 51,974 1,144 13,458
Shutdown Sites with
solely Pool Storage 2
* 5,443 1,693 -- --
Shutdown Sites with
solely Dry Cask Storage
8 -- -- 198 1,794
Totals for Shutdown
Sites
10 5,443 1,693 198 1,794
Overall Totals 75 186,244 53,667 1,342 15,252
As at December 2012
* Zion & Morris sites. Zion expected to move UNF into dry storage by the time the Consolidated
Storage Facility is operational. Morris site is not expected to use dry storage.

3. E YGREN S ITULO ONS
Implications of Repository Uncertainty
• Around 70,000 tons of UNF currently stored at reactor sites
– 78w% in wet (pool) storage
– 22w% in dry (steel canister in concrete cask) storage
• But pool storage is about maxed out
– So all new UNF discharges (~2000 tons/year) will displace an equal amount of
older UNF into dry store, requiring canisterization
• Repository geology not known (now Yucca Mtn has been stopped)
– So heat dissipation performance unknown
– Thus cannot define a standard, repository-suitable canister
• Reactor utilities will thus use the largest canisters they can, to minimize their
costs
– This will guarantee that most dry-stored UNF will require re-packaging prior to
repository emplacement

4. E YGREN S ITULO ONS
What can be done?
• A Consolidated Interim Store (CIS) for UNF would:
– be in line with Blue Ribbon Commission recommendations
– be more economic than providing secure UNF storage at each reactor site
– enable reactor utilities to ship ‘bare’ fuel to the CIS instead of placing it into large
repository-unsuitable canisters
– enable repackaging to be done at one site in advance of repository emplacement
• A Reprocessing Facility for UNF would:
– Use technology proven in Europe and simply adapted to the US licensing
environment
– produce a more robust vitrified waste form for the repository, containing >99.9%
of the radioactivity in the UNF
– reduce the volume of repository waste ~6-fold
– enable unused uranium to be recycled as new reactor fuel
– provide a throughput that would keep up with the 2000 tons/year UNF discharge

5. E YGREN S ITULO ONS
Questions & Discussion

6. E YGREN S ITULO ONS
The Consolidated Storage Facility Concept
Rail Receipt
Interface
Stage 1
Stage 2
Stage 3
CSF
Storage
Pad
Canister
Handling
Facility
Pool
Repackaging
Facility
Cask
Fabrication
Facility
Geologic
Repository
Cask
Maintenance
& Waste
Handling
Stage 1: Receipt of UNF already in transportable storage casks
Stage 2: Receipt of UNF that requires transfer from transport cask to storage cask
Stage 3: Receipt of “bare” UNF that requires canisterization before storage
Stage 3 enables Store to become a “gateway” to either the Geologic Repository or Recycling Facility

7. E YGREN S ITULO ONS
Overview of Nuclear Fuel Reprocessing
Fuel Pool
Storage
Mechanical
Chopping
Dissolve in
Nitric Acid
Chemical
Separation
Bulk Uranium
for Recycle
Uranium,
Plutonium,
(Neptunium)
for Recycle
Americium,
Curium for
Transmut-
ation
Fission
Product
Waste for
Vitrification
Consolidated
Storage Facility

8. E YGREN S ITULO ONS
How can Reprocessing, Consolidated Storage and
the Geologic Repository work together?
Light Water
Reactors
Consolidated
Storage Facility
Geologic
Repository
Reprocessing
Facility LLW
Repository
MOX Fuel
Fabrication
LWR Fuel
Fabrication
Uranium Re-
enrichment
HWR Fuel
Fabrication
Heavy Water
Reactors
Am/Cm
target prodn
Fast
Reactors
UNF
UNF
UNF
Vitrified
HL Waste
Am/Cm
UU
U+Pu
MOX FuelMOX Fuel
U Fuel
U Fuel
LL Waste
Am/Cm target
production