Concept study for interim storage of research reactor fuel elements in transport and storage casks. Transport and storage licensing procedure for the CASTOR MTR 2 cask. Final report

As a result of the project, a concept was to be developed for managing spent fuel elements from research reactors on the basis of the interim storage technology existing in Germany, in order to make the transition to direct disposal possible in the long term. This final report describes the studies for the spent fuel management concept as well as the development of a transport and storage cask for spent fuel elements from research reactors. The concept analyses were based on data of the fuel to be disposed of, as well as the handling conditions for casks at the German research reactors. Due to the quite different conditions for handling of casks at the individual reactors, it was necessary to examine different cask concepts as well as special solutions for loading the casks outside of the spent fuel pools. As a result of these analyses, a concept was elaborated on the basis of a newly developed transport and storage cask as well as a mobile fuel transfer system for the reactor stations, at which a direct loading of the cask is not possible, as the optimal variant. The cask necessary for this concept with the designation CASTOR trademark MTR 2 follows in ist design the tried and tested principles of the CASTOR trademark casks for transport and interim storage of spent LWR fuel. With the CASTOR trademark MTR 2, it is possible to transport and to place into long term interim storage various fuel element types, which have been and are currently used in German research reactors. The technical development of the cask has been completed, the documents for the transport license as type B(U)F package design and for obtaining the storage license at the interim storage facility of Ahaus have been prepared, submitted to the licensing authorities and to a large degree already evaluated positively. The transport license of the CASTOR trademark MTR 2 has been issued for the shipment of VKTA-contents and FRM II compact fuel elements. (orig.)