DEVELOPMENT OF DEVICES FOR WORKING WITH BN-350 RADIOACTIVE WASTE

DEVELOPMENT OF DEVICES FOR WORKING WITH BN-350

RADIOACTIVE WASTE

«Nuclear Power and Energy Security (NPES 2009)»IV NATO Advanced Research Workshop

May 26-29, Yerevan, Armenia

DEVELOPMENT OF DEVICES FOR WORKING WITH BN-350 RADIOACTIVE WASTE

NPES 2009

Authors:

• A.G. Iksanov (“Kazatomprom” NAC, Almaty, RK)

• S.N. Pustobaev, Yu.P. Shirobokov, G.P. Pugachyev (“MAEK – Kazatomprom” LLP, Aktau, RK)

• A.N. Baldov, L.N. Tikhomirov, V.V. Tkachenko (“KATEP” LLP, Almaty, RK)

• I.L. Tazhibaeva, A.Kh. Klepikov, O.G. Romanenko (RC NTS, Almaty, RK)

• E.A. Kenzhin, V.V. Yakovlev, S. Khametov (IAE NNC RK, Kurchatov, RK)

• V.I. Kalinkin, A.I. Skvortsov (JSC “Parent Institute “VNIPIET”, St-Petersburg, RF)

• S.A. Dmitriev, A.E. Arustamov (MosNPO “Radon”, Moscow, RF)

• D.I. Zelenski, Yu.A. Serebrennikov (JSC “METR”, Moscow, RF)

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BACKGROUNDBACKGROUNDBN-350 is the earliest prototype industrial liquid-metal fast breeder reactor, sodium coolant.

Design thermal capacity – 1000 MW.

Reactor start-up was carried out on 29.11.1972.

Power start-up - 16.07.1973.

According to the Governmental Resolution of RK No.456 of 22.04.1999 it was decided to decommission the reactor.


STRATEGY OF THE BN-350 RP DECOMMISSIONINGSTRATEGY OF THE BN-350 RP DECOMMISSIONING

Major Phases:Phase 1. Bringing the BN-350 reactor plant to the state of long- term safe storage. The basic criteria of the phase completion are:

spent fuel transfer from the site (Stage I);radioactive sodium removal from the reactor plant and

its reprocessing (Stage II);radwaste treatment and placing in the long-term

storage (LRW – Stage III, SRW – Stage IV);preparation of buildings, constructions and equipment

for long-term storage, management of monitoring (Stage V)

NPES 2009


STRATEGY OF THE BN-350 RP DECOMMISSIONINGSTRATEGY OF THE BN-350 RP DECOMMISSIONING

Major Phases:Phase 2. Long-term safe storage under control and monitoring over the next 50 yearsPhase 3. Partial or full dismantling of the equipment, buildings and constructions, and nuclear waste disposal

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REPROCESSING OF LIQUID AND SOLID NUCLEAR WASTE


Since 1972, over the BN-350 reactor plant operation history, the considerable amount of liquid and solid nuclear waste has been produced.Total liquid waste collected- 3320 m3.Liquid waste activity (free of “pure” beta- and alpha-emitting nuclides activity) - 2,661014 Bq.Total solid waste collected – 6620 tons.

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Solid waste activity (free of “pure” beta- and alpha-emitting nuclides activity) - 5,451014 Bq.A complex of installations for reprocessing of theBN-350 liquid and solid waste is proposed:installation for RLW ion-selective decontamination;installation for cementation;installation for pressing of solid waste in metal

casks;depository for interim and long-term storage of

casks and containers.

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RLW MANAGEMENT PLANRLW MANAGEMENT PLANReprocessing by means of additional evaporation and residue drainage in the RLW storage, and by final treatment of condensate in the ion-exchange facilities;Two-stage treating of the RLW clarified part from radionuclide; Ozonization and filtration of the clarified part for the purpose of slime removal and further infiltrate immobilization in cement matrix in non-returnable shielding casks (NSC);

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RLW MANAGEMENT PLANRLW MANAGEMENT PLANSelective sorption of basic radionuclide Cs-137 and further removal of filter-containers as highly active RSW;

Lifting of accumulated pulps and deposits and their further cement-curing;

Placing of the cement compound into NSCs;

Transportation using special vehicles and placing of NSCs in the special RSW depository (building 158A).

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STATUS OF THE RLW/RSW MANAGEMENT PROJECTS

STATUS OF THE RLW/RSW MANAGEMENT PROJECTS

The RLW RC Project has been developed and undergone expertise, working documentation is under development.Volume, composition and activity level of the radwaste produced in the course of the BN-350 RP operation have been analyzed.The RSW RC Project has been developed and is at the completion stage of endorsement and expertise.

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ACTIVITIES OF STAGE V COMPLETEDACTIVITIES OF STAGE V COMPLETED

Engineering inspection of the buildings, systems, equipment and external communications of the BN-350 reactor plant has been performed. The technological systems of the RP buildings 130, 150, 150А, 157 have been examined for radiation.Radiation inspection of the external communications of the BN-350 reactor plant.

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ACTIVITIES OF STAGE V COMPLETEDACTIVITIES OF STAGE V COMPLETED

Data acquisition/classification, preparation of summary tables on the BN-350 systems, and determination of isotopic composition of radionuclides localized on the internal and external surfaces of the BN-350 systems, measuring of total removed activity of β-emitting nuclides have been completed.

The Project on preparation of buildings, constructions and equipment for safe long-term storage has been developed.

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OTHER PROJECTSOTHER PROJECTSThe sanitary protection area and radiation control area Project has been justified and developed.The Projects not included in Stages I-IV are under development:Management of highly active RW;Management of organic RLW.

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ACTIVITY MANAGEMENT AND FUNDINGACTIVITY MANAGEMENT AND FUNDING

The Institution responsible for the BN-350 RP decommissioning – NAC “Kazatomprom”.

Main organizations of the Republic of Kazakhstan involved in the implementation of the activity – MAEK “Kazatomprom”, KATEP, RC NTS and IAE NNC RK.

Main organizations of the Russian Federation involved in the implementation of the activity – JSC “Parent Institute “VNIPIET”, MosNPO “Radon”, JSC “METR”.

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ACTIVITY MANAGEMENT AND FUNDINGACTIVITY MANAGEMENT AND FUNDING

Funding sources: funding from the Republic of Kazakhstan, international aid (USA, United Kingdom, TACIS). The work within the spent fuel and sodium coolant

management Project is carried out under the sponsorship and technical support of the USA.

Some parts of the liquid-metal coolant handling, cesium traps management, examination of the hot cells repository Projects are funded by the United Kingdom.

The basic scope of work including RLW/RSW management is funded by the Republic of Kazakhstan.

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MAJOR TASKS ACCOMPLISHEDMAJOR TASKS ACCOMPLISHEDVolume, composition and activity level of the radwaste produced in the course of the BN-350 RP operation have been analyzed;Material balance of the reprocessed radwaste according to the volume, type, activity level, processing method has beenmade up;The technique for RW handling in the fast breeder reactor decommissioning has been developed. The complex of processing techniques and RW conditioning proposed has been included in the RLW, RSW and storage RC Projects for safe long-term storage (50 years) of solid and hardened RW.

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MAJOR TASKS ACCOMPLISHEDMAJOR TASKS ACCOMPLISHEDComplexity and multi-aspect of the activity scheduled and their international nature require the creation of modern project management schemes.

The role of the management company in the spent fuel and radioactive sodium management Projects operates “KATEP” LLP from Kazakhstan, and the role of the leading company of the LRW, SRW management and BN-350 decommissioning of V stage Projects plays JSC “METR” (Management. Engineering. Technologies. Research) that is the leader of the Russian institutions Consortium – stakeholders of the BN-350 decommissioning activity.

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CONCLUSIONCONCLUSIONThe package of activity performed proves the correctness of the concept accepted by the Government of the Republic of Kazakhstan on the BN-350 decommissioning (three successive steps above) targeted at minimization of cost, exposure and amount of radioactive waste.

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CONCLUSIONCONCLUSIONDecommissioning of the high power fast breeder reactor plant is carried out for the first time and therefore the normative documents and design decisions elaborated, accepted technologies and estimation of capital expenditure and maintenance costs may enrich the database and serve as orientation for decommissioning of similar units.

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CONCLUSIONCONCLUSIONAccording to the concept accepted the BN-350 decommissioning is the process of top level of complexity that is characterized with the requirement of concurrent execution of a large scope of work by means of international teams from Kazakhstan, Russia, USA, EC, etc. Such approach needs the creation of modern effective organization schemes of interfaces and management of the Projects and will be further used in other complicated Projects.

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THANKSFOR YOUR ATTENTION!

NPES 2009


Documents

DEVELOPMENT OF DEVICES FOR WORKING WITH BN-350 RADIOACTIVE WASTE