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Interim Storage of Spent Nuclear Fuel
How is spent nuclear fuel interim stored?
After it has been “burnt” in a nuclear reactor to generate electricity, spent nuclear fuel is interim stored pending final disposal (or reprocessing).
- Spent fuel rods are categorised as High Level Waste (HLW), because they continue to generate heat.
- Typically, the first stage of interim storage is within a cooling pond on the reactor site.
- If it is not to be reprocessed, spent nuclear fuel is then usually transferred to a dry store for longer-term interim storage, prior to disposal.
- Disposal options include near or sub-surface disposal and deep geological disposal (within a Geological Disposal Facility).
Spent Fuel Pond
Wet Storage of Spent Fuel in a Cooling Pond located at CLAB, Central Interim Storage Facility for Spent Nuclear Fuel, Oskarshamn, Sweden.
What happens in the UK?
What happens in the UK?
Currently, the UK operates an open fuel cycle for its generating nuclear power stations (the AGR and PWR reactors). At the moment, used fuel (known as spent fuel) is being interim stored – either on the same site as the power station or at the Sellafield site in Cumbria. Eventually, England and Wales plan to permanently dispose of all High Level Waste (HLW), including spent fuel, in a Geological Disposal Facility (GDF) – once this has been developed by Nuclear Waste Services.
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