Nuclear fuel waste projections in Canada: 2016 update

This report summarizes the existing inventory of used nuclear fuel wastes in Canada as of June 30, 2016 and forecasts the potential future arisings from the existing reactor fleet as well as from proposed new-build reactors. While the report focuses on power reactors, it also includes prototype, demonstration and research reactor fuel wastes held by AECL which are included in the NWMO mandate. As of June 30, 2016, a total of approximately 2.7 million used CANDU fuel bundles (approx. 54,000 tonnes of heavy metal (t-HM)) were in storage at the reactor sites, an increase of approximately 82,000 bundles from the 2015 NWMO Nuclear Fuel Waste Projections report. For the existing reactor fleet, the total projected number of used fuel bundles produced to end of life of the reactors ranges from about 3.5 to 5.4 million used CANDU fuel bundles (approx. 70,000 t-HM to 108,000 t-HM), depending upon future decisions to life-extend the current reactors. The lower end is based on an average of 25 effective full power years (EFPY) of operation for each reactor (i.e. no additional refurbishment beyond what has already been completed), while the upper end assumes that most reactors are refurbished and life extended for an additional 25 EFPY of operation. The upper end has increased from the 2015 report, due to the announced plans to refurbish and life-extend the Darlington and Bruce reactors. Used fuel produced by potential new-build reactors will depend on the size and type of reactor and number of units deployed. New-build plans are at various stages of development and the decisions about whether to proceed with individual projects, reactor technology and number of units have not yet been made. If all of the units where formal licensing has already been initiated are eventually constructed (i.e. at Darlington, which was granted a site preparation licence by the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission in 2012), the total additional quantity of used fuel from these reactors could be up to approximately 1.6 million CANDU fuel bundles (30,000 t-HM), or 10,800 PWR fuel assemblies (5,820 t-HM). This total is unchanged from the 2015 report. Assuming 4 new CANDUs, the total number of CANDU fuel bundles could be 7.0 million. When reactors refurbishments are completed and/or decisions on future reactor refurbishment, new nuclear build or advanced fuel cycle technologies are made by the nuclear utilities in Canada, any resulting changes in forecasted inventory of nuclear fuel waste will be incorporated into future updates of this report. (author)