ML23298A031

Advanced Fuel Cycle Storage and Transportation Research

ML23298A031
Person / Time
Issue date:	10/26/2023
From:	NRC/RES/DE
To:
Raj Iyengar 301-415-0770
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Download: ML23298A031 (16)

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Advanced Fuel Cycle Storage and Transportation Research Reactor Engineering Branch Division of Engineering Office of Nuclear Regulatory Research The views expressed in this presentation are those of the authors and do not reflect the views of the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission. This material is declared a work of the U.S.

Government and is not subject to copyright protection in the United States. Approved for public release; distribution is unlimited.

External Engagement Coordination Advanced Reactors &

Fuels Licensing Readiness Advanced Fuel Cycle Storage &

Transportation Research Outline

Preparing for an Increase in New &

Advanced Reactors

Preparing for Advanced Fuel Cycle Licensing

Intended to ensure staff readiness to review near-term licensing/certification actions, support pre-application engagements, and inform guidance development.

NRC Assessment:

Ensure readiness to license the storage and transportation of various ANLWR fuels within the flexible regulatory framework.

Increased interest and activities in development of commercial advanced reactors and their fuels Advanced fuel types include:

Metal fuel, TRISO pebbles, and molten salt fuels.

Research Activities:

To expand the NRC understanding of the key technical and regulatory considerations related to these ANLWR fuel types.

Considerations:

May include various waste forms and waste streams, radiochemistry of constituents, storage canister performance and degradation, actinide separation, tritium management strategies, and other attributes.

NRC Research Activities in Spent Fuel Storage and Transportation Outcome Research Activities and Considerations

• Advanced fuel cycles have several changes relative to those of historic U.S. LWR fuels, which will affect storage and transportation.

• Molten Salts

• Graphite Wastes

• High enrichments from High-Assay Low-Enriched

• The U.S. NRC regulatory framework does not require any major changes, but there are some technical issues being evaluated.

Advanced Fuel Cycle Storage Transportation

Advanced Fuel Cycle Storage &

Transportation Research Front end: HALEU and Salt Fuel Molten Salt Waste Processing Molten Salt Waste Forms MSR Off-gas Management Graphite Waste Management Guidance (TRISO, Metal, Salt)

• Assessment of potential transportation and preparation of High-Assay Low Enriched Uranium (HALEU) fuel materials and salt fuel HALEU and Salt Fuel Preliminary insights include:

Part 71 appears flexible enough to accommodate HALEU transportation package needs Criticality benchmarks Potential for co-located fuel fabrication facility and MSR

Molten Salt Reactor Fuels Reviewed information related to high-level plans for processing, storing, and transporting MSR salt waste Key Observations:

• Potential for co-located chemical processing facilities

• Tritium management strategies are needed for some designs

• Consider transportation of fuel salt and waste

• Potential need for long term management or immobilization Future work will look at storage casks and transportation considerations for molten salt waste and potential for salt processing

Reprocessing regulatory gap analysis (SECY-09-0082). 23 gaps were identified Draft regulatory basis and regulatory framework path forward submitted to the Commission (SECY-11-0163)

Commission approved recommendati on in SECY-13-0093 to develop Part 7X, focus on Gap 5 Work stopped on Gap 5; decrease in commercial interest Rulemaking cancelled.

SECY-21-0026, staff can adequately address licensing needs through the existing regulatory framework" Beginning efforts to "get ready" for any potential licensing applications Spent Fuel Reprocessing 2009 2011 2013 2016 2021 2022

Reprocessing Research Activities TECHNICAL ASSESSMENT OF CONSIDERATIONS FOR PYROPROCESSING EXTERNAL COORDINATION TO GATHER INFORMATION ON POTENTIAL REPROCESSING TECHNOLOGIES INTERNAL COORDINATION ON TECHNICAL PERSPECTIVES AND PRE-APPLICATION ACTIVITIES TECHNICAL BASIS TO INFORM GUIDANCE UPDATES

US NRC VENDORS PUBLIC SDOs EPRI DOE FOSTERING PARTNERSHIPS International NGOs

NRC is participating as observers for periodic Research Coordination Meetings between SFERA participants:

• March 2022

• October 2023 Objectives:

To sustain and improve the IAEA's Member States technical knowledge base on the long-term behavior of power reactor spent fuel through sharing and disseminating information, reporting topical research carried-out in participating Member States and by documenting on-going spent fuel performance IAEA Coordinated Research Project (CRP)

Spent Fuel Research and Assessment (SFERA)

Forward Looking Research

• University Nuclear Leadership ProgramSupports NRCs safety and security mission by awarding university-led research projects relevant to the NRC mission that complement its current research portfolio and help the NRC prepare for upcoming challenges

• Future Focused Research ProgramSupports the identification, prioritization, performance, and monitoring of research activities intended to help the NRC prepare for upcoming challenges that have longer-term ( 3 years) horizons and greater risk opportunities than considered in typical activities Key Attributes for Remote Operation of NPPs Integration of

Safety, Security, and Safeguards Nuclear Nano Technology -

Advanced Fuel Applications Licensing Modernization Project - Operating Reactors Digital Twins -

Regulatory Viability

Summary NRC is assessing various advanced fuel types to ensure its readiness to license the storage and transportation of these fuels Engaged in several research activities looking at front end, back end and processing aspects of advanced fuel cycles NRC is monitoring external R&D programs that address the challenges of spent fuel waste management

Thank you for your attention.