Handling and final storage of radioactive metal components

After the dismounting of the fuel elements, the next stage is to undertake the final storing of the metal components, which have kept the fuel rods together. The components are transmitted to a pool where they are cut into pieces, compacted and placed in wire baskets. These are transferred in a water channel to a cell, where the metal components are embedded into concrete blocks. Thus the baskets are placed in prefabricated concrete containers, after which the metal parts are embedded into cement grout, injected from the bottom of the containers. The blocks are finally stored in rock tunnels constituting a storage similar to the repositories for vitrified waste and spent fuel, although somewhat simplified, taking advantage of the much lower amount of radioactive material in the case of metal components. Thus a depositioning depth of 300 m in rock is very much on the safe side and it is appropriate in this case to fill the tunnels with concrete, ensuring by its alcalinity a suffi ciently low rate of dissolution of the metal and migration of radioactive substances