Dry storage - past, present, and future

Over several decades essentially all types of irradiated nuclear fuel have been shipped and/or handled under dry conditions in hot cells. Essentially all types of irradiated fuels have been stored in dry facilities, some of which began operation as early as 1964. Four major dry storage concepts have developed: concrete silos (canisters), dry wells, metal casks, and vaults. Irradiated fuel has been emplaced in and retrieved from facilities representing all four concepts. Dry storage has been conducted safely and with relatively low radiation doses to the operators. Three of the four storage concepts have been licensed, indicating that dry storage is a relatively mature technology. Currently, dry storage is expected to fill a complementary but important role to wet storage for interim storage of water reactor fuel in the US. Dry storage may fill expanded roles in future extended storage (e.g., monitored retrievable storage) and in repository disposal. It is important that dry storage functions in a cooperative climate, where experience gained in one application is assimilated into other applications. It is also important to assess prospects to integrate current storage technologies with downstream fuel cycle activities to the extent possible. 23 references, 5 figures, 3 tables.