Interim storage and reprocessing of spent fuel elements

The expected volume of spent fuel elements from LWR power plants is used as a basis for calculating the interim storage and reprocessing requirements. In the ligth of the requirement situation, the balance for interim storage shows that the bottleneck formerly expected to arise in this sector has become less threatening as a result of the compact storage facilities within nuclear power plants and also of the construction of two large external interim storage facilities in Gorleben and in Ahaus. In fact, the interim storage capacity available in the next few years, after these facilities have been commissioned, will show a surplus even beyond the year 2000. Also in the field of spent fuel reprocessing the difficulties encountered so far in finding a site for a planned reprocessing plant seem to dissolve. Following the preselection of one site each in Bavaria and in Lower Saxony, and after filing of the applications for permits for those sites, concrete basic plans can now be established for a reprocessing plant with an average annual capacity of 350 te. In these plans, the start of construction is envisaged for 1985, completion of the plant for 1990 and, after cold commissioning and the first trial runs, reprocessing of spent fuel elements for the period after 1992. The capital cost for the entire plant is estimated at approx. DM 4 billion at 1980 prices. (orig.)