From national nuclear fuel cycles to an international fuel bank

1
From national nuclear fuel cycles to an
international fuel bank

• Klaas van der Meer
• Belgian Nuclear Research Centre SCKCEN

Nuclear energy and proliferation in the M-E,
Amman, Jordan
22-24 June, 2007
2
Summary

• Historical development of the Belgian fuel cycle
• Present situation of the Belgian fuel cycle
• International obligations
• Multinational approaches
• International fuel bank
• Technical aspects
• Political aspects
• Conclusions

3
Historical development of the Belgian fuel cycle

• Start 1913 discovery large quantities of uranium
  in Belgian colony Congo
• production of radium
• Start WW II uranium stocks from Belgium to US
• Congo provided uranium for Manhattan project
• After WW II US-Belgian agreement for access to
  peaceful nuclear technology

4
Historical development of the Belgian fuel cycle
(research)

• 1952 foundation of SCKCEN, Mol
• Research centre for the applications of nuclear
  energy
• 1956 building BR1 reactor
• 4 MW graphite reactor with natural uranium
• 1961 building BR2 reactor
• 100 MW Material Testing Reactor with HEU
• first operation 1963
• 1964 building and operation VENUS critical
  facility

5
Historical development of the Belgian fuel cycle
(power reactors)

• 1962 building BR3
• first PWR on European continent (10 MWe)
• 1967 Chooz-A reactor
• 240 MWe PWR, 50-50 French-Belgian
• 1968 Kalkar project
• German/Dutch/Belgian cooperation
• Fast Breeder Reactor
• project finished in 1985, never in operation
• 1964 building and operation VENUS critical
  facility

6
Historical development of the Belgian fuel cycle
(power reactors)

• 1974 Doel 1
• 400 MWe
• 1975 Doel 2, Tihange 1
• 450 MWe, 950 MWe
• 1982 Doel 3, Tihange 2
• Both 1000 MWe
• 1985 Doel 4, Tihange 3
• Both 1000 MWe
• Total installed power 5800 MWe
• 54 of electricity production is nuclear

7
Historical development of the Belgian fuel cycle
(fuel fabrication)

• 1958 fuel fabrication in Dessel, near Mol
• research reactor fuel, BR3
• 1972 FF plant taken over by FBFC
• Société Franco-Belge Fabrication de Combustible
• 500 tU per year
• 1957 MOX fuel fabrication Belgonucléaire
• technology developed by SCKCEN
• closed down 2006

8
Historical development of the Belgian fuel cycle
(reprocessing)

• 1959 foundation Eurochemic
• OECD project, 13 countries
• 1966 building reprocessing pilot plant
• closed down 1974

9
History of the Belgian nuclear fuel cycle
RD
1956 research reactors, hot cells 80-90 waste
disposal 2002 BNEN nuclear engineer
Industry
1957/58 MOX, UO2 fuel 1966 reprocessing 1972
FBFC, production medical isotopes
1962 BR3 1974 Doel 1, D2, Tih 1 1982 D3, T2 1958
D4, T3
nuclear power
1958 first legislation 1980 NIRAS 1994 FANC 2001
real start FANC
Regulation
Design phase
10
Present situation of the Belgian fuel cycle

• Power production
• 7 PWRs, 5800 MWe installed power
• previously Electrabel, public and private
  shareholders
• now owned by French GDF-Suez
• Fuel production FBFC
• previously Belgian-French
• now owned by AREVA, 100 French
• Fuel supply Synatom
• previously part of Electrabel
• now owned by French GDF-Suez
• Belgian government has golden share
• participation in Eurodif and future George-Besse
  II enrichment plant

11
Present situation of the Belgian fuel cycle

• Research Development
• SCKCEN
• 630 employees, 1/3 academic degree
• research reactors BR1, BR2, VENUS
• Hot cell laboratories, measurement laboratories
• underground research facility
• Institute for Reference Materials and Methods
  IRMM
• European research centre
• 350 employees
• previously 100 nuclear, now 2/3 non-nuclear
• Universities

12
Present situation of the Belgian fuel cycle

• Nuclear Regulatory Authorities
• Federal Agency of Nuclear Control
• independent
• protection public, workers and environment
  against ionising radiation
• inspects nuclear installations, but also
  accelerators, hospitals and industry
• safety, security, safeguards
• National Agency for Radioactive Waste and
  Enriched Fissile Materials
• responsible for safe storage and final disposal
  of nuclear waste
• technical research and societal interactions
• owns operational division Belgoprocess

13
Present situation of the Belgian fuel cycle

• Engineering
• Tractebel
• (inter)national projects in nuclear engineering
• fuel operation
• development core loading
• fuel monitoring
• enrichment definition
• waste management
• Institut des Radio-Eléments IRE
• production of medical isotopes
• irradiated in BR2, SCKCEN

14
The present nuclear scene in Belgium
CONTROL
AVN
FANC
BelV
15
International obligations

• Safeguards
• Non proliferation Treaty
• Additional Protocol
• Euratom Treaty
• Safety
• National responsibility
• based on international recommendations, IAEA or
  OECD (NEA)
• previously based on US NRC regulations
• Early notification, Assistance in case of nuclear
  accident
• Security
• Also national responsibility
• Convention of Physical Protection
• Liability
• Paris, Vienna Convention

16
Multinational approaches(Belgian example)

• History Belgium
• investigate and develop significant parts of fuel
  cycle
• pioneer period of nuclear age
• Present situation
• most nuclear industry in foreign ownership
• No hampering of nuclear activities
• 54 nuclear electricity production
• very stable and secure production with very few
  outages
• fuel production plant
• all other nuclear services from international
  market
• enrichment
• conversion
• uranium

17
Multinational approaches

• Situation similar in the rest of Europe, except
  France
• no nation has complete nuclear fuel cycle
• often only nuclear power plants
• no problem in well-functioning market with adult,
  competitive industry
• eager to sell services
• but under international control

18
Multinational approaches

• 2006 IAEA Special Event
• discuss different proposals to increase assurance
  of supply
• assurance based on three different levels
• free market
• functions well at present
• additional, paper guarantees nuclear fuel or
  enrichment services will be provided in case of
  shortage
• international fuel bank with real stock of
  enriched uranium

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International fuel banktechnical aspects

• provide full load of 1000 MWe nuclear power plant
• 30 tonnes of fuel
• between 3-5 enriched uranium
• No fuel elements
• too many different designs
• but as close as possible to end product
• sintered fuel pellets in fuel elements
• Enriched UO2

20
International fuel banktechnical aspects

• provide full load of 1000 MWe nuclear power plant
• 30 tonnes of fuel
• between 3-5 enriched uranium
• No fuel elements
• too many different designs
• but as close as possible to end product
• sintered fuel pellets in fuel elements
• Enriched UO2 storage
• close to fuel fabrication facility
• prevent international transports
• common practice to mix different enrichments to
  obtain specifications

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International fuel bankpolitical aspects

• falls under auspices of IAEA
• politically neutral
• nuclear experience
• Located in more or less neutral country
• preferably not aligned with one of major powers
• Credible assurance
• host country should have adequate infrastructure
• nuclear safety and security should be warranted
• For more assurance
• host country preferably does not have enrichment
  facility
• in case bank is activated, boycott of enrichment
  providers is plausible
• Geographical spread

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Conclusions

• Nuclear industry mature and well-developed
• able and willing to provide services to "novices"
• no economic need to develop indigenous fuel cycle
• Additional assurances may be provided by
  international fuel bank
• Some technical and political aspects of an
  international fuel bank have been discussed