A Preliminary Study on the Safeguardability of Advanced Spent Fuel Conditioning Process

Approximately 6,000 metric tons of spent nuclear fuel, collected over a 30-year period of commercial and research reactor operation, has been accumulated in Korea. It is also expected that more than 10,000 metric tons of spent nuclear fuel would be accumulated by the end of 2010. Therefore, the question of “how to manage the spent fuel discharged from reactors” has been a key challenge to be considered, as a part of the sustainable supply of nuclear energy policy in Korea. Since the year 1997, Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute (KAERI) has been developing a pyro-metallurgical technique, so-called lithium reduction process, to convert the oxide fuels into metallic form. In addition, pyro-metallurgical process with more economic and efficient advantages has been developed by KAERI since 2001. Significant reduction of the volume and heat load of spent fuel by use of electrolytic lithium reduction process could lighten some burden of final disposal in terms of disposal size, safety and economics. A preliminary study on the safeguardability of pilot scale ACP (Advanced spent fuel Conditioning Process) facility was conducted by KAERI and LANL based on the joint research program initiated on 2002. The newly proposed concept is electrometallurgical treatment technique to convert spent nuclear fuels into a single set of disposal metal forms, reducing the volume and simplifying the qualification process. A conceptual process design and a material flow were analyzed using experiences with conventional fuel cycles and known measurement methods and their uncertainties. We concluded that if the assumptions regarding measurement instruments can be achieved in a safeguards system for the ACP facility, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) safeguards goals could be met.