An evaluation of the use of concrete casks for irradiated fuel management

The status of the Canadian Concrete Canister Dry Storage program is briefly reviewed. A preliminary evaluation indicates that significant cost savings, compared to a reference concept, could result from the use of a concrete canister (or cask, as a multi-purpose canister is called) for transportation and disposal, as well as storage. The on-going Canadian program to investigate the behaviour of defected and non-defected irradiated fuel in dry transportation and storage conditions is described. Results show that the definition of a maximum temperature for dry transportation and/or storage should be approached with caution