Transport of nuclear material (Part II)

Providing a complete back-end service for MTR reactors is one of the fundamental and traditional tasks of TRANSNUKLEAR GmbH (TN). TN's services in this field cover everything from supplying the ideal transport cask, providing technical assistance during the loading operation, obtaining the necessary package approval and transport licenses, providing the required insurance cover, carrying out the transport, right thru to settling the reprocessing contract. Up until 1976, TN carried out transports of MTR fuel elements to the European reprocessing plants at Mol in Belgium and Marcoule in France. In all, some 1000 fuel elements were transported in this p e ri od. However, following the decision by these plants not to reprocess these elements anymore, subsequent transports had to be made to the US-DOE reprocessing plants. TN pooled together the interests of all her MTR customers and signed a reprocessing contract with the US-DOE, which ensured a complete back-end service for these reactors well into the future. In close cooperation with our associated company, Transnuclear Inc. in New York and Washington, a new transport concept was developed, which proved itself to be both economic and reliable. Up to now, a total of about 2050 MTR fuel elements have been transported by TN-Germany to the USA in 65 separate shipments. The total number of shipments performed by the TN group is 165 shipments. All shipments were carried out routinely without any incident. In March this year, the US-DOE made use of a clause in the contract, in which 90 days' notice was given of a change in reprocessing plant. Whereas previously all elements had been taken to the Savannah River Plant (SRP) in South Carolina, in future all elements have to go to the Idaho Chemical Processing Plant (ICPP) near Idaho Falls. This change presented TN with the not inconsiderable problem of finding a suitable transport route. Due to the large number of influencing factors, the TN-group carried out a special feasibility study, in which particular attention was paid to: economic aspects, the licensing situation, a reliable back-end, political aspects. The choice fell clearly on the first alternative, namely a sea transport from Europe to the American east coast (Portsmouth, Virginia) and from there by road across 12 states to ICPP. Up to the present moment (June thru November 1982), we have transported 256 MTR fuel elements in 6 separate shipments to Idaho. The 4 different type transport casks are used