Evaluation of a remote continual verification system, RECOVER, for International Safeguards. Final report

The potential role of a remote continual verification system (RECOVER) has been evaluated for a number of major fuel-cycle facility types. Those considered were light-water reactors, pressurized heavy-water power reactors (specifically, CANDU-600's), fast critical facilities (modelled after the Japanese facility, FCA), mixed-oxide fuel-fabrication plants, spent-fuel reprocessing plants, and inactive stores of plutonium or highly-enriched uranium. Most of the analysis was limited to those factors that could be expressed quantitatively, such as costs and savings. The limitation of such a narrow focus is that it tends to slight or ignore certain important non-quantifiable considerations, such as those noted below in connection with the conclusions for light water reactors. The relative weight to be given to these factors, compared with the quantifiable ones, is a matter of judgment for the International Atomic Energy Agency, and was not considered in the study. 11 figs., 14 tabs