Spent fuel management in the Russian Federation: State of the art and outlook for the future

The nuclear power plants which are in operation in the Russian Federation, their spent fuel arisings are described. Spent fuel from WWER-440 and BN-reactors is reprocessed at a reprocessing plant RT-1 of capacity 440 MgU/Y. The final product of the plant is the 2-2,4% enriched U-235, which is used for RBMK fuel fabrication. Pu in the form of dioxide is stored for future use in the program of NPPs with BN-800 reactors. WWER-1000 spent fuel will be reprocessed at a reprocessing plant RT-2, now under construction near Krasnoyarsk. The plant will be put in operation by turns of 1500 MgU capacity each. Today WWER-1000 spent fuel is temporarily stored at the RT-2 site. The storage capacity of this facility is 6000 MgU. RBMK spent fuel is not meant for reprocessing for reasons of small fissile content (0.4% U-235, 0.25% Pu-239, 241). After cooling at reactor water pools this fuel is shipped to intermediate storage facilities at the NPPs' sites to be stored for a period of not less than 40 years. It is expected that in the future RBMK fuel will undergo final disposal in geological formations. Searching for appropriate formations is now carried in various areas in the country. Storage in water pools remains a prevailing mode in the nearest decades. Dry storage modes also been developed. (author). 9 refs, 6 figs, 4 tabs