Dry storage of the spent fuel discharged from research reactors in Canada

Atomic Energy of Canada Limited (AECL) manages the spent fuel discharged from most of Canada's research reactors. These research reactors have been operated to support Canada's nuclear R&D programs and medical isotope production. The spent fuel inventory consists of dozens of types and configurations, including intact and non-intact fuels and totalling approximately 95 MTHM. The fuels are a mixture of both high and low enrichments, and are typically aluminum-clad with various fuel core materials, including uranium metal, uranium dioxide, uranium-aluminum alloy, and uranium silicide-aluminum dispersion fuels. The discharged spent fuels are initially wet stored at reactor fuel bays for approximately two years before being transferred to dry storage facilities at AECL's Chalk River Laboratories site and Whiteshell Laboratories site. After 50 ~100 years of interim dry storage, the spent fuel will be sent to permanent geological disposal as part of Canada's long-term management program for spent nuclear fuel. This paper presents the strategy and practices with regard to the management and storage of spent research reactor fuel in Canada. (author)