ML23298A031

Advanced Fuel Cycle Storage and Transportation Research

ML23298A031
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Issue date:	10/26/2023
From:	NRC/RES/DE
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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.

Outline Advanced Advanced Fuel Cycle Storage &

External Reactors & Transportation Research Engagement Fuels Licensing Coordination Readiness

Preparing for an Increase in New &

Advanced Reactors

Preparing for Advanced Fuel Cycle Licensing

NRC Research Activities in Spent Fuel Storage and Transportation Increased interest and Research Activities and Outcome activities in Considerations development of Intended to ensure staff commercial advanced Research Activities: readiness to review near-reactors and their fuels To expand the NRC understanding term licensing/certification of the key technical and regulatory actions, support pre-considerations related to these application engagements, NRC Assessment:

ANLWR fuel types. and inform guidance Ensure readiness to license the development.

storage and transportation of various Considerations:

ANLWR fuels within the flexible May include various waste forms regulatory framework.

and waste streams, radiochemistry of constituents, storage canister performance and degradation, Advanced fuel types include:

actinide separation, tritium Metal fuel, TRISO pebbles, and management strategies, and other molten salt fuels.

attributes.

Advanced Fuel Cycle Storage Transportation

• 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.

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

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

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

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

• 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

Spent Fuel Reprocessing 2009 Draft regulatory basis 2013 Commission Reprocessing and regulatory approved recommendati regulatory gap analysis framework path on in SECY-13-0093 to (SECY-09-0082). 23 forward submitted to develop Part 7X, focus gaps were identified the Commission (SECY-on Gap 5 11-0163) 2011 2021 Rulemaking cancelled.

Beginning efforts to SECY-21-0026, staff Work stopped on Gap 5; "get ready" for any can adequately address decrease in commercial potential licensing needs interest licensing applications through the existing regulatory framework" 2022 2016

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

FOSTERING PARTNERSHIPS EPRI VENDORS PUBLIC US NRC NGOs International DOE SDOs

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 IAEA Coordinated the long-term behavior of power reactor spent fuel Research Project (CRP) through sharing and disseminating information, Spent Fuel Research and reporting topical research carried-out in participating Assessment (SFERA) Member States and by documenting on-going spent fuel performance

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 Digital Twins - Licensing Modernization Regulatory Project - Operating Viability Reactors Integration of Nuclear Nano Key Attributes Safety, Technology - for Remote Security, and Advanced Fuel Operation of Applications NPPs Safeguards

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, Summary 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.