The IAEA Co-ordinated Research Programme on the Behaviour of Spent Fuel and Storage Facility Components During Long Term Storage (BEFAST)

An IAEA Co-ordinated Research Programme (CRP) on the Behaviour of Spent Fuel Assemblies During Extended Storage was initiated in 1981 and was designated BEFAST-I. A follow-up programme, the Behaviour of Spent Fuel and Storage Facility Components During Long Term Storage (BEFAST-II), was started in 1986. During the first two phases of the CRP, the participating countries contributed their R and D results on fundamental questions regarding spent fuel storage. It was concluded that various technologies for long term interim spent fuel storage could be licensed and operated safely. A final report for each stage of the CRPs was prepared and published as an IAEA Technical Document (IAEA-TECDOC). A third phase (BEFAST-III), with a slightly modified goal, was initiated in 1991 because of the need to develop a database to assist in the evaluation of spent fuel storage technologies for extremely long periods of time. The objective of BEFAST-III was to report not only on specific research, but also on the experience gained during the long term storage of spent fuel from power reactors. During that phase, experts from 13 countries will contribute to the production of an IAEA-TECDOC, which will be the final report for BEFAST-III. It will cover aspects related to: wet and dry storage technology; licensing and the strategies to be adopted for storage in the future. The BEFAST-III TECDOC will address the following topics for wet storage: spent fuel behaviour; pool water monitoring and chemistry; and pool components and material corrosion. For dry storage, the topics addressed will be: the impact of extended burnup on dry storage; fuel failure mechanisms; and monitoring and inspection. (author). 8 refs, 1 tab