Conceptual design of analytical facilities at on-site laboratory (OSL) for safeguards at Rokkasho reprocessing plant (RRP)

An On-site laboratory (OSL) is now under planning as one of the important safeguards measures to be applied to the Rokkasho Reprocessing Plant (RRP) of Japan Nuclear Fuel Limited (JNFL) currently under construction. The OSL is planned to be constructed in part of the JNFL's analytical laboratory building for use as a safeguards analytical laboratory operated jointly by the State and IAEA. The available total space for OSL is 600 m2. The expected number of verification samples for the RRP is about 1000, including samples of spent fuel input solutions, plutonium nitrate solutions, MOX, highly radioactive waste solutions and uranium. Because of the high throughput of the RRP (800tHM/a), the OSL will be equipped with DA and NDA instruments of the highest possible accuracy and precision. The materials handled at OSL will amount to dozens of ml for a batch of sample and require heavy shielding of hot cells and glove boxes. This paper describes technical aspects of the conceptual design and present status of the OSL, which include type and number of samples, laboratory layout, analytical methods, joint analytical operation, utilities supplied from the operator. Operation of the OSL is expected to start in the mid-2000s. (author)