Indian strategy for

management of spent
fuel from
Nuclear Power Reactors
S.Basu, India
 Energy scenario in India
• At the present growth rate, Indian economy
will double every eight years

• Growing population

• Reaching well above per capita world average

consumption
• Nuclear energy is to meet 25% to 50% of the
total energy requirement
• Nuclear capacity will reach 20 Gwe and more
by 2020
• 200 Gwe and above generation capacity is
targeted by the middle of the century
• Large nuclear energy requirement

• Limited Uranium resources

 Spent Fuel is a resource for
India

• All spent fuel will be reprocessed

• Storage of spent fuel is an interim
activity
Indian three stage
programme
envisages
I Stage : Pressurized Heavy
water reactor with Natural
Uranium fuel

Interim storage in spent fuel storage pools and

subsequent reprocessing
 II Stage : U-Pu based
Fast Breeder Reactors
based on MOX/metallic fuel

Interim storage of spent fuel in

reactor/water pool & Reprocessing
in fast reactor fuel cycle facilities.
III Stage: Th-Pu and Th-U233
(MOX) based reactors

Interim storage of above fuel and

subsequent reprocessing of
Th-Pu-U233 or Th-U233 fuel
 Fast reactor fuel reprocessing
• Reprocessing of short cooled fuel

• Aqueous reprocessing of oxide fuel

• Aqueous/Pyro chemical reprocessing for

metallic fuel
 Fast reactor spent fuel storage
• Initial cooling in reactor

• Sodium removal

• Interim Storage in water pools

 Thorium fuel reprocessing
• Three component reprocessing, Th – Pu –U233

• Two component reprocessing, Th – U233

• U232 related issues

• Thorium storage
Recent nuclear agreements
opened up possibility for

LWRs of various types based on enriched

Uranium
Interim storage and subsequent reprocessing
of oxide spent fuel ( High burnup fuel)
Pressurized Heavy Water Fuel using
Recycled Uranium (oxide)

Uranium in spent fuel of LWRs is slightly enriched.

Suitable for use in PHWRs.

Interim storage and Reprocessing of

Recycled Uranium based Spent Fuel
Other impact of nuclear agreement
is availability of Natural Uranium
from foreign sources

PHWRs based on natural Uranium

obtained from foreign sources
Interim storage and reprocessing of
spent fuel
 Spent fuel storage pool
• Intermediate storage
• Adequate cooling period
• Water cooled
• Buffer for the period between discharge from
reactor and reprocessing
 Storage period for spent fuel
• Longer storage of spent fuel simplifies the
reprocessing and waste management systems
• Shorter storage period results in earlier
availability of Pu for power generation
• Early reprocessing would require storage of
high level waste for longer period before
vitrification
 Reprocessing requirements
• Natural Uranium (Indian) - PHWR
• Natural Uranium (Foreign) - PHWR
• Enriched Uranium- LWRs of four types
• Recycled Uranium(LWR fuel repro.) - PHWR
• Fast reactor MOX fuel
• Fast reactor metallic fuel
• Th – Pu – U233 fuel
• Th – U233 fuel
 Waste management
High level waste is vitrified and
stored in interim storage facility
Cesium and Strontium recovery is
planned
Spent fuel Transportation
All transportation will be through land
routes using transfer casks and trailers
meeting all regulatory requirements
For Coastal sites Reprocessing facilities
are co-located with power reactors . This
will minimize fuel transportation in public
domain
 Larger size Integrated Nuclear
Recycle Plant

* So far smaller size reprocessing plants were

co-located with waste management and fuel
fabrication facilities
* Future plants will be based on integrated
facility for reprocessing and waste
management. Fuel fabrication facility will also
be integrated in most cases
 Challenges : construction and operation of
larger size plants
• Extension of available technology; for low and
high burn up fuel

• Use of newer equipment

• Cost reduction
 Reprocessing and fabrication of metallic fuel

• Pyro – chemical technique for reprocessing

• Electro reduction technique for conversion
from oxide to metal
• Metallic fuel fabrication
• Commercial scale operation
 Present activities in the back end
• Operation of small size plants
• Construction and commissioning of two more
reprocessing plants and associated facilities
(augmentation activities)
• Design and construction two large size
integrated plants, one for PHWR and the other
for fast reactor spent fuel
• Plant designs aim at significant reduction in
discharges & improvement in safety & security
 Safety Guides
• Comprehensive safety codes and guides are
required for the back end of fuel cycle

• Should cover reprocessing ,waste

management and repository
 Conclusion
• Uranium Resource constraint ; Countries
aiming large and sustained nuclear generation
has to opt for closed fuel cycle
• Waste volume; Significant reduction in waste
volume is possible only through closed fuel
cycle route
• Indian nuclear recycle programme is poised
for major expansion, matching the enhanced
power generation plans