Nuclear Fuel Cycle & Waste Technology

Nuclear Fuel Cycle and Materials

Management of Spent Fuel from Power Reactors

Technical Meeting on
Cost of Spent Fuel Management Options

7-10 March 2011
IAEA Headquarters, Vienna, Austria

INFORMATION SHEET

I. INTRODUCTION

Currently, most of the spent fuel accumulating from power reactors is stored while awaiting national or international decisions on final disposition. Only about 30 % of fuel discharged each year from nuclear power reactors is reprocessed (~ 3000 t HM/y) while spent fuel reprocessing facilities have a capacity of twice this quantity (6000 t HM/y). As the implementation of spent fuel disposal strategy is slow and many national programs for the final disposition of spent fuel are delayed, a strategy of recycling spent fuel over long periods of time and in combination with new advanced fuel cycles is being reconsidered in some countries. This would mean adopting new strategies for spent fuel management with spent fuel storage over long periods of time (100 years and even more) becoming an important phase of such strategies. Cost of spent fuel management options is often a key question in evaluation of those spent fuel management strategies.those spent fuel strategies.

In order to adjust existing spent fuel management strategy or to develop a new strategy, the evaluation of costs of spent fuel management options and their phases would provide valuable information to Member States, and in particular to smaller countries and newcomers. While there is a good basis for cost of some phases of spent fuel management (like spent fuel storage which is a mature technology available at the international market), cost of spent fuel disposal is based on preliminary and engineering estimates. If the strategy is developed based on the use of advanced reactors and nuclear cycles the cost estimates are more uncertain.

The objective of this meeting is to gather information on experience of participants in costs of various phases of spent fuel management including storage of spent fuel, transportation, disposal, current recycle technologies and the cost estimates in the future advanced reactors and nuclear fuel cycles in order to establish a basis for the comparison of costs of the current and future spent fuel management options to the possible extent, possibly even in relative terms.

II. TOPICS TO BE COVERED

Currently, only several spent fuel management strategies can be foreseen. They are feasible in different time spans. The most available information exists on spent fuel storage and reprocessing/recycling with current technologies. They are also some estimates on spent fuel disposal costs and models for the costs of innovative fuel cycles.

The topics that are expected to be covered at the Technical Meeting are the cost or information on cost estimates for the following spent fuel management strategies:

Current costs of wet and dry storage of fuel;

Transportation costs (unit distance);

Disposal cost estimates;

Reprocessing and recycling of spent fuel as REPU or MOX fuel with current technologies;

Costs of very long term storage of spent fuel (100 years and more);

Cost estimates of nuclear fuel recycling with the future advanced reactors and fuel cycles.

Participants are encouraged to select any of the topics on costs or to provide an overview and comparison of cost evaluations for all the above defined strategies. Cost estimation and analyses can be presented. Cost categories and components can be discussed as well as key factors affecting costs.

III. ORGANIZATION

Scientific Secretaries:

Mr Zvonko Lovasic(NEFW)
International Atomic Energy Agency
Vienna International Centre
P O Box 100 1400 Vienna,
Austria
Phone: +43 1 2600 22767 Fax: +43 1 26007 22767
Email: Z.Lovasic@iaea.org

Mr Howells Mark Idwall (PESS)
International Atomic Energy Agency
Vienna International Centre
P O Box 100 1400 Vienna,
Austria
Phone: +43 1 2600 22855 Fax: +43 1 26007 22855
Email: M.Howells@iaea.org

Secretary:

Ms Valentina Prohaska
International Atomic Energy Agency
Vienna International Center
P O Box 100 1400 Vienna, Austria
Phone: +43 1 2600 22761 Fax: +43 1 26007 22761
Email: V. Prohaska@iaea.org

IV. PARTICIPATION IN THE MEETING

The primary objective of this technical meeting is to present and exchange data and information on the Costs of Sent Fuel Management Options. The information will eventually be, through several consultancies, worked out into an IAEA report.

Each person wishing to participate in the meeting is requested to complete the Participation Form and the Form for submission of a paper (Form A and B attached).

The designation of a participant will be accepted only when transmitted through the Government of a Member States of the IAEA or by an organization invited to participate not later than 10 January, 2011.

V. PAPERS AND PRESENTATIONS

Participants will be asked to prepare a paper on the topic of cost of spent fuel management options. The presentations will have a duration of approximately 20 minutes and it is preferred that they are prepared in MS PowerPoint format. Papers will be published in the resulting technical document. Contributed papers should be submitted in English with an electronic version provided to the scientific secretaries prior to the meeting. The designated participants should provide an abstract of approximately 250 words for their paper as well as the completed Form for Submission of a Paper (Form B attached) to the scientific secretaries by 10 January 2011. The abstract should be sent by -mail to the scientific secretaries at Z.Lovasic@iaea.org or M.Howells@iaea.org, using MS-WORD and Times New Roman as the text font. The paper should be sent to the scientific secretaries by mail by 10 February, 2011 and the presentations should be sent to the scientific secretaries by mail by 22 February 2011.

VI. VENUE

The meeting will be held at the IAEA's Headquarters in the Vienna International Centre (VIC), Meeting Room M6 Wagramer Strasse 5, 1400 Vienna, Austria. Participants are advised to arrive one hour prior to the convening time of the meeting to allow for timely registration. Please note that you must present an official photo identification document in order to be admitted to the VIC premises.

The following web site can be accessed for more detailed information on Vienna and the VIC. http://www-pub.iaea.org/iaeameetings/GeneralInfo/Guide/VIC

VII. VISA ARRANGEMENTS

Participants are also advised that they may require a valid passport and Schengen visa for entry into Austria. Accordingly, it would be advisable to begin the immediate preparation of travel arrangements and necessary authorizations. Please advise the Secretariat as soon as possible if a formal invitation letter is needed in order to facilitate the visa request. We recommend that you apply for visa in a timely manner, if necessary. If you need more information please check: http://www.eurovisa.info/SchengenCountries.htm.

VIII. EXPENDITURES

In accordance with the established rules, Governments, national authorities, private companies or individual sources are expected to bear the travel and other costs of designated participants in the meeting. Limited funds are, however, available to help cover the cost of participants from Member States eligible to receive technical assistance under the IAEA's technical cooperation programme. Such assistance can be offered, upon specific request, to one participant per country provided that, in the IAEA's view, this participant will make an important contribution to the meeting. The application for financial support should be made at the time of the designation of the participant.

The Secretariat wishes to state that compensation is not payable by the IAEA for any damage to or loss of the experts' personal property. However, for the period of their engagement with the IAEA, including travel between their residence and the duty station, the designated experts will be covered under the IAEA's insurance policy for permanent total disablement or death resulting from service-incurred accidents or illness up to a maximum of €100 000, for permanent partial disablement resulting from service-incurred accidents or illness up to a maximum of €100 000 and for medical expenses up to a maximum of €20 000 plus €10 000 for supplementary travel and accommodation expenses in case of illness or injury resulting from service-incurred accidents or illness, in accordance with the terms of the IAEA's relevant insurance policy. This insurance coverage only covers accidents and illnesses insofar as they clearly result from attendance at an IAEA meeting. The IAEA recommends that the expert also make arrangements for private insurance coverage on an individual basis.

IX. WORKING LANGUAGE

The working language of the meeting will be English. All communications, abstracts, and papers must be sent in English.

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