The document discusses National Radioactive Waste Disposal Institute's (NRWDI) mandate to manage radioactive waste disposal in the country, including used fuel. It outlines that used fuel management requires an off-site centralized interim storage facility by 2025 and a deep geological repository by 2065. The Vaalputs site is a suitable candidate for both facilities due to its isolation and previous investigations. Classifying the interim storage facility as a strategic infrastructure project would help expedite regulatory approvals.

1. USED FUEL MANAGEMENT:
A KEY MANDATE OF NRWDI
National RadioactiveWaste Disposal Institute
Presenter: Alan Carolissen
Date: 14th December 2016

2. Contents
▪ Governance Framework for Radioactive Waste Management
▪ Functional mandate of NRWDI
▪ Disposal of Low Level Waste
▪ Used Fuel Management Options
▪ Used Fuel Management Strategies
▪ Outcomes of Used Fuel Management Strategies
▪ Key drivers for the CISF
▪ Challenges and solutions w.r.t CISF
▪ Financial Resources Required
▪ Concluding Remarks
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3. GOVERNANCE FRAMEWORK
FOR RADWASTE MANAGEMENT
National RadioactiveWaste Disposal Institute

4. Governance Framework for Radwaste Management

5. FUNCTIONAL MANDATE OF
NRWDI
National RadioactiveWaste Disposal Institute

6. FUNCTIONAL MANDATE OF NRWDI
▪ Manage radioactive waste disposal on a national basis;
▪ Operation of theVaalputs repository;
▪ Develop criteria for accepting and disposing radioactive waste;
▪ Manage, operate and monitor operational radioactive waste disposal facilities
▪ Site, design and construct new disposal and related facilities as required;
▪ Define and conduct research and development aimed at finding solutions for
long-term radioactive waste management;
▪ Maintain a national radioactive waste database;
▪ Manage ownerless radioactive waste on behalf of the Government; and
▪ Implement any assignments or directives from the Minister regarding
radioactive waste management.

7. USED FUEL MANAGEMENT
OPTIONS AND STRATEGIES
National RadioactiveWaste Disposal Institute

8. Used Fuel Management Options
● Off-site above ground Centralized Interim Storage Facility
● Reprocessing, conditioning & recycling
● Direct disposal
● Transmutation
● Fuel take-back

9. Used Fuel Strategies
▪ At reactor storage + off-site storage
▪ At reactor storage+ off-site storage+ direct disposal
▪ At reactor storage+ reprocessing/recycling + disposal
▪ At reactor storage+ off-site storage+
reprocessing/recycling + disposal

10. OUTCOMES OF UF STRATEGIES
▪ Regardless of the chosen UF Strategy, the following technical
outcomes are inescapable:
▪ Centralized Long Term Off-site Storage Facility is required
(2025)
▪ Deep Geological Repository is required (2065)

11. Off-site Centralized Interim Storage Facility

12. Deep Geological Repository
Fuel pellet of
uranium
dioxide
Spent
nuclear
fuel
Cladding tube
Copper canister
with cast-iron
insert
Bedrock
Bentonite clay
Geological repository
for spent nuclear fuel
Source: SKB IC, 2008

13. Repository Planning Framework
Activities Timeframe
Siting criteria and Potential Siting Areas 2017
Short listing of PSA and preliminary field
investigations
2017
Detailed site investigation 2018
Site selection 2020
Interim storage facility 2025
Deep geological repository 2065

14. Key Drivers for CISF
▪ Many countries have adopted dry cask UF storage as an interim
strategy in the absence of a deep geological repository.
▪ Recent Fukushima event heightened public concern about long
term onsite storage in pools / dry casks.
▪ UF storage space at Koeberg NPP to be exhausted by 2020
▪ Economies of scale and scope (eliminate duplication)

15. Eskom’s Spent Fuel ManagementTimelines
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16. CHALLENGES AND SOLUTIONS
WITH REGARDTO CISF
National RadioactiveWaste Disposal Institute

17. Site Selection and Siting
The features ofVaalputs that will make it an outstanding candidate site during the alternative site verification process
of an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) process for a CISF is as follows:
▪ It is an existing and licensed nuclear facility on a large Necsa owned property.
▪ It has been selected according to criteria that are also beneficial for the establishment of a CISF for used nuclear
fuel.Vaalputs is e.g. remote, has low rainfall, low seismic hazard, low population density and low potential for
industrial and agricultural growth.
▪ Previous investigations have shown many options exist for a CISF site in the vicinity of the current disposal
facility.
▪ None of these site options should effect the current or expected future operations or nuclear licenses for low and
intermediate level waste disposal.
▪ The potential areas for a CISF site onVaalputs have been well characterized in terms of its geological,
geotechnical and seismic characteristics and many decades of environmental monitoring data are available.

18. Project overruns
▪ Many projects do not deliver on time or within budget or has limited development impact
▪ Reasons:
 red tape
 lack of coordination across the three spheres
 silos between national departments
 lack of integration between infrastructure systems
 slow actions by bureaucrats and sitting on decisions for long periods
 litigation by lobbyists that slows down implementation
 corruption in tenders that increases costs
 limited focus on localisation and jobs

19. Solutions:
Classify CISF as a Strategic Infrastructure Project (SIP)
▪ Invoke the provisions of INFRASTRUCTURE DEVELOPMENTACT 23 OF 2014 to classify
the CISF as a Strategic Infrastructure Project (SIP)
▪ The Act has three schedules namely:
 Schedule 1 defines the scope of the Act, essentially comprising major kinds of
infrastructure.
 Schedule 2 provides timeframes for SIP planning and public consultation.
 Schedule 3 lists the current SIPs to ensure they are maintained when the Act comes into
force.

20. Schedule 1: Public installations, structures, facilities, systems, services or processes in
respect of which projects may be designated as strategic integrated projects
National and international airports
Communication and information technology installations
Education institutions
Electricity transmission and distribution
Health care facilities
Human settlements and related infrastructure and facilities
Economic facilities
Mines
Oil or gas pipelines, refineries or other installations
Ports and harbours
Power stations or installations for harnessing any source of
energy
Productive rural and agricultural infrastructure
Public roads
Public transport
Railways
Sewage works and sanitation
Waste infrastructure
Water works and water infrastructure

21. Schedule 2: Process and periods of time
Period for submitting application and project plan measured from approval by steering committee of
project plan.
7 days
Period for public consultation on the application and project plan. 30 days
Period for application and project plan to be amended and submitted to the relevant authority for
consideration and approval.
52 days
Period for submission to the relevant authority of detailed development and mitigation plan based on
an approved project plan
60 days
Period for public consultation on the development and mitigation plan and review by relevant
authority.
44 days
Period for relevant authority to consider and assess development and mitigation plan and make final
regulatory decision.
57 days

22. CONCLUDING REMARKS
National RadioactiveWaste Disposal Institute

23. Concluding Remarks
▪ Regardless of the chosen UF Strategy, the following technical outcomes are
inescapable:
 Centralized Long Term Off-site Storage Facility is required (2025)
 Deep Geological Repository is required (2065)
▪ The Vaalputs site is a candidate site for the establishment of the above ground off-
site centralised interim dry storage facility for used fuel as well as for hosting the
deep geological repository.
▪ Classification of CISF as a SIP is imperative to obtain timeously regulatory
approvals (RoD & NIL)
▪ NRWDI is ready to provide waste generators with safe, technically sound and
economic feasible radwaste disposal and related services that meet our exceed
their expectations.

24. Thank You!
Name : Alan Carolissen
Title : Chief Operating Officer (COO)
Cell : 082 809 7750
Email : alan.carolissen@nrwdi.org.za 24