[en] Utility experience in the Untied States has shown that extending fuel cycle length from 12 to 18 months or more can provide a significant reduction in total power generation cost as a result of higher plant availability and reduced replacement power cost. An essential factor in the economic implementation of longer cycles is the use of advanced fuel design features, such a s high burnup, optimum burnable poisons, and low-leakage fuel-loading patterns, which compensate for the fuel cycle cost penalty that would otherwise be associated with longer cycles. Use of such features combined with advanced reactor engineering methods has enabled a smooth transition to extended cycles for many Combustion Engineering (C-E) customers. Cycle 8 of Calvert Cliffs unit 2, which began in the spring of 1987, makes the first 24-month cycle in a US pressurized water reactor. Unit 1 is scheduled to begin 24-month cycle operation in the spring of 1988. The two Calvert Cliffs units will refuel during the spring of alternated years, and the low-cost replacement power available to BG ampersand E during the spring season should produce savings of 1 to 2% of annual energy costs compared to present operations with 18-month cycles

[en] The problems of interim away-from-reactor spent fuel storage and storage in spent fuel pools at the reactor site are discussed. An overview of the state-of-the-art in the USA, Europe, and Japan is presented. The technical facilities for away-from-reactor storage are briefly described, including wet storage pools, interactive concrete systems, metallic containers, and passive concrete systems. Reprocessing technologies are mostly at the design stage only. It is predicted that during the 20 years to come, about 50 000 tonnes of spent fuel will be stored at reactor sites regardless of the advance of spent fuel reprocessing or interim storage projects. (J.B.). 4 tabs., 2 figs

[en] There are several important factors influencing change in the fuel fabrication supply industry in Western Europe today. The most important is the changing supply relationships resulting from lower costs in the USA. With US fabrication prices substantially lower than in Western Europe, a situation which is sustainable based on production costs, a major force for change prevails which will have significant implications for the commercial development of both markets over the next decade. The extent to which supply from the USA will drive the Western Europe market will depend, to some extent, on three other factors: the new US-Euratom agreement on nuclear trade; electricity market deregulation in the European Union (EU); near term MOX fuel fabrication capacity. The main purpose of this paper is to discuss the current situation in the USA and Europe, and the manner in which this will lead to changing fuel fabrication supply dynamics in both markets. (author)

[en] For more than ten years, C-E has been involved with a variety of fuel related field services that include: failed fuel rod detection; failed fuel assembly reconstitution; fuel assembly repair; fuel assembly and rod inspections; fuel consolidation; and control element examination and measurement. C-E has conducted over thirty-five poolside inspections involving the examination of 800 fuel assemblies and more than four thousand individual fuel or poison rods. This paper describes some of the specialized techniques C-E has designed, tested, and used to permit disassembly, inspection and reassembly of irradiated fuel

[en] Most utilities are pursuing extended fuel burnup for reasons attributable to the front end of the fuel cycle, however, increased burnup has several influences on the back end of the fuel cycle as well. For example extended burnup is one of the easiest and most economical ways to reduce storage requirements. As shown in the paper maximum at reactor (AR) storage requirements can be reduced by as much as 50% by the year 2000 by increasing fuel exposure ∼ 3% per year from 1985 through 2000 [e.g., to ∼45,000 MWd/ton heavy metal (HM) for pressurized water reactors and 38,000 MWd/ton HM for boiling water reactors], which in turn extends the useful life of existing storage capacity. A design objective of cask manufacturers is to simplify and minimize the maintenance and monitoring requirements for long-term storage. Taking credit for the known irradiation history in discharged fuel and the fact that this fuel has low residual reactivity is one way to achieve this objective

[en] Short communication

[en] The multiwall cask design is based on extensive, favorable experience with past spent-fuel transportation campaigns. Each layer provides specific, independent safety and performance functions. The stainless steel structure eliminates concern for brittle fracture issues in transport applications, as well as corrosion concerns in the long-term storage mode. The lead gamma shield maximizes the payload for given dimensional and weight constraints. The multiwall design also reduces concern for propagation of a defect in any single wall

No abstract available

[en] US government policy is still no more certain than before, but it is clear that utilities must manage spent fuel at sites for at least the next 10-15 years---- and probably longer. But because of lapses in design and quality control in recent years, the NRC has become more involved with existing and new projects. This situation has prevented utilities from doing anything with their excess spent fuel for the past three years. Meanwhile, a large demand is building at ever more reactor sites. The pre-2010 dry storage equipment market is conservatively estimated at about 12.000 metric tonnes. Our studies indicate the following major market factors for the US: - There is a surge of commercial activity in the period 2000 to 2005; - The first two purchasing criteria amongst US utilities today are licensability and quality control; - Dual Purpose, canister based (MPC) systems are clearly preferred, but; - This type of system has not been licensed by the NRC, and The NRC's increased scrutiny of all systems and suppliers has created problems for utilities. - There are five potential market suppliers in two groups: Established suppliers: TN West and SNC. New entrants: Holtec, NAC, and Westinghouse. Because of the 'pent-up' demand, the major near-term market share should go to the first vendor who can obtain an NRC license for a dual-purpose, MPC based system. (author)

[en] US law and implementing contracts with nuclear utilities require the Department of Energy to begin accepting high-level waste in form of spent fuel on January 31, 1998, whether or not a repository exists. Unfortunately, consumer-provided funding for the program has been diverted for other government purposes such that, in about one year, the Government will be in breach of contract and in violation of the law. Utilities, which have paid billions of dollars over 16 years, now must insist on judicial recovery as means of forcing the Government's part of deal. In the meantime, utilities must implement safe, low-cost, at-site storage facilities in a flexible way, without knowing when the Government will fulfil its obligations. Industry must also assume a leadership role in developing a 'systematic' approach to the back end during this evolutionary period. (author) 2 figs