Russia's plan to import spent fuel includes both reprocessing and long-term/permanent storage. There are a lot of issues that still need to be resolved before Russia will import any spent fuel. The issue of U.S. obligated fuel is a big one - any spent fuel that has had some portion of the front end of the fuel cycle (mining/milling, conversion, enrichment, fabrication) performed in the U.S. cannot be shipped to Russia without U.S. government approval. Much of the fuel from Russia's potential customers (Taiwan, Japan, South Korea, etc) is U.S.-obligated. The U.S. govt is against Russia's plans for proliferation, environmental, and a host of other reasons.
I would not expect to see Russia import large quantities of spent fuel in the near future. The most likely scenario is that they continue to reprocess former Soviet Union countries' fuel and also possibly from reactors where they supply the fresh fuel (e.g. Iran's Bushehr plant that is under construction).
------------------------------------------------------------
Johannes "Fritz" Strydom
Deputy Manager, Consulting Products
NAC International
678-328-1258 Fax 678-328-1458
fstrydom@nacintl.com
http://www.1nuclearplace.com
Paul William Shafer <paulwilliam_s@YAHOO.COM> Sent by: owner-radsafe@list.vanderbilt.edu
06/06/01 06:28 PM
Please respond to Paul William Shafer
To: radsafe@list.vanderbilt.edu
cc: (bcc: Fritz Strydom/NAC_Intl)
Fax to:
Subject: Russian Reprocessing Spent Fuel
It now looks certain that Russia will start importing
spent nuclear fuel for reprocessing into new fuel for
nuclear reactors. One source indicated that they could
handle up to 2,200 tons of spent fuel per year and
another source indicated that within two years (after
expansion of their already large and old facilities)
they could handle up to 10,000 tons per year. Which
ever is correct, Russia should now easily surpass
France as the largest reprocessor of spent nuclear
fuel. Are they willing to permanently take the fission
products too or will these be "returned to sender?"
I wonder if South Africa and China will follow this
lead in order to make a profit from Pu-239.
Perhaps the US doe not need Yucca Mtn. for SNM storage
or "disposal." Maybe we should ship it to Russia
instead of money and credit "to periodically bail out
their economy?"
Could be alot of nuclear, health physics, chemical
engineering and environmental jobs in Russia in the
next decade or so.
Paul Shafer
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