The UK Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA) is responsible for safe and secure management of spent nuclear fuel. Magnox fuel is held at some Magnox reactor sites and at Sellafield where it is reprocessed using a number of facilities. It is intended that all Magnox fuel will be reprocessed as described in the published Magnox Operating Programme (MOP) [1]. In the event, however, that a failure occurs within the reprocessing plant, the NDA has initiated a programme of activities to explore alternative contingency options for the management of wetted Magnox spent fuel. Magnox fuel comprises metallic uranium bar clad in a magnesium alloy, both of which corrode if exposed to oxygen or water. Consequently, contingency options are required to consider how best to manage the issues associated with the reactivity of the metals. Questions such as whether Magnox spent fuel needs to be dried, how it might be conditioned, how it might be packaged and held in temporary storage until a disposal facility becomes available, all require attention. During storage in the presence of water, the corrosion of Magnox fuel produces hydrogen (H2) gas, which requires careful management. When uranium reacts with hydrogen in a reducing environment, the formation of uranium hydride (UH3) may occur, which under some circumstances can be pyrophoric, and might create hazards which may affect subsequent retrieval and/or repackaging (e.g. for disposal). Other factors that may affect the choice of a viable contingency option include criticality safety, environmental impacts, security and Safeguards and economic considerations. Magnox fuel has been successfully dry-stored as intact fuel elements in CO2- and air-filled primary and secondary cells at Wylfa Power Station, UK. Storage of some fuel elements in the Wylfa secondary cells has been carried out successfully for over 25 years. Other relevant experience includes the French UNGG (Uranium Naturel Graphite Gaz) and U.S. Hanford N-Reactor spent fuels, both of which have been retrieved and dried after decades of wet storage. The dried fuels are respectively stored in sealed canisters in modular vault stores at Cadarache (CASCAD) and Hanford (Canister Storage Building). The applicability of these and other potential store designs, such as concrete and metal casks and silos, to the storage of Magnox spent fuel is discussed.
Skip Nav Destination
Close
Sign In or Register for Account
ASME 2009 12th International Conference on Environmental Remediation and Radioactive Waste Management
October 11–15, 2009
Liverpool, UK
Conference Sponsors:
- Nuclear Engineering Division and Environmental Engineering Division
ISBN:
978-0-7918-4407-6
PROCEEDINGS PAPER
Contingency Options for the Dry Storage of Magnox Spent Fuel in the UK
Jenny Morris,
Jenny Morris
Galson Sciences Ltd., Oakham, Rutland, UK
Search for other works by this author on:
Stephen Wickham,
Stephen Wickham
Galson Sciences Ltd., Oakham, Rutland, UK
Search for other works by this author on:
Phil Richardson,
Phil Richardson
Galson Sciences Ltd., Oakham, Rutland, UK
Search for other works by this author on:
Mike Newland
Mike Newland
UKAEA Ltd., Dorchester, Dorset, UK
Search for other works by this author on:
Jenny Morris
Galson Sciences Ltd., Oakham, Rutland, UK
Stephen Wickham
Galson Sciences Ltd., Oakham, Rutland, UK
Phil Richardson
Galson Sciences Ltd., Oakham, Rutland, UK
Colin Rhodes
NDA, Moor Row, Cumbria, UK
Mike Newland
UKAEA Ltd., Dorchester, Dorset, UK
Paper No:
ICEM2009-16330, pp. 811-816; 6 pages
Published Online:
December 12, 2010
Citation
Morris, J, Wickham, S, Richardson, P, Rhodes, C, & Newland, M. "Contingency Options for the Dry Storage of Magnox Spent Fuel in the UK." Proceedings of the ASME 2009 12th International Conference on Environmental Remediation and Radioactive Waste Management. ASME 2009 12th International Conference on Environmental Remediation and Radioactive Waste Management, Volume 1. Liverpool, UK. October 11–15, 2009. pp. 811-816. ASME. https://doi.org/10.1115/ICEM2009-16330
Download citation file:
- Ris (Zotero)
- Reference Manager
- EasyBib
- Bookends
- Mendeley
- Papers
- EndNote
- RefWorks
- BibTex
- ProCite
- Medlars
Close
Sign In
16
Views
0
Citations
Related Articles
PBMR-A Future Failsafe Gas Turbine Nuclear Power Plant?
Mechanical Engineering (August,2011)
Kinematics and Thermodynamics Across a Propagating Non-Stoichiometric Oxidation Phase Front in Spent Fuel Grains
Appl. Mech. Rev (January,1994)
The Effect of Alkali Metal and Alkaline Earth Metal Impurities on the Iodine-Induced Corrosion of CANDU Fuel Sheathing
ASME J of Nuclear Rad Sci (October,2017)
Related Chapters
Dismantling
Decommissioning Handbook
Iowa State University Research Reactor
Decommissioning Handbook
Utilities’ Perspective of Spent Fuel Storage
Global Applications of the ASME Boiler & Pressure Vessel Code