System impacts of fuel selection and MPC heat limits

Different spent fuel selection alternatives result in different spent fuel assembly heats at the time of pickup. Assembly heat output varies widely, depending on fuel burnup and aging. The Standard Contract (10 CFR Part 961) between the Department of Energy (DOE) and nuclear utilities specifies the parties' rights and restrictions concerning fuel selection at acceptance. The Standard Contract specifies that the utilities' acceptance rights are prioritized by Oldest Fuel First (OFF). They can fill their allocation using 'standard' spent fuel from any of their reactors (e.g., fuel greater than 5 years old). If utilities choose to deliver the youngest and hottest allowable fuel in their inventories, DOE's Civilian Radioactive Waste Management System (CRWMS) and the utilities are significantly impacted. This paper quantifies these impacts using simple measures of effectiveness (MOEs), suggests and evaluates alternative mitigations, and provides a preliminary recommended approach. Data presented here could be used to support mutual cooperation on waste selection between DOE and utilities