Overview of the Spanish high-level waste program

The Empresa Nacional de Residuos Radiactivos, S.A. (ENRESA) was set up in 1984 with the mandate to be responsible for the management of all radioactive wastes generated in Spain. The strategy and main guidelines of ENRESA`s program to fulfill this mandate are contained in the General Radioactive Waste Plan (PGRR), a basic document which ENRESA is due to submit every year to the Ministry of Industry and Energy for Government approval. The Spanish nuclear electricity generating program consists of nine Light Water Reactors (LWR) with an overall capacity of 7.1 GWe, after the Vandellos 1 nuclear power plant were phased-out in 1989. The spent nuclear fuel from LWRs is defined, in accordance with the 1983 National Energy Plan, as high level waste, and its management is accordingly focused to the direct disposal option. The spent nuclear fuel from Vandellos 1, a graphite gas-cooled reactor which was in operation from 1972 to 1989, in reprocessed abroad, and the wastes generated in the processes will be returned to Spain. The final objective of the Spanish High Level Waste program is to dispose of the spent nuclear fuel and high level vitrified waste into a deep geological repository. In fulfilling this target, takingmore » into account the time frame in which it can reasonably be achieved, a previous step is necessary in order to secure the temporary storage of the spent fuel. This paper presents the strategy and a description of the different elements of the program currently under way as established in the fourth General Radioactive Waste Plan that has been approved by the Government in December 1994.« less