US reactor spent-fuel storage capabilities

The spent-fuel storage situation at reactors in the US is described. The focus of the report is on the reactors that are developing a spent-fuel storage problem and the alternatives the utilities are utilizing and planning to use to minimize the problem. The alternatives the utilities are using and/or considering are described and include: high-density storage racks, double-tiered storage racks, rod consolidation, dry storage systems, fuel transshipments, and at-reactor storage pools. All of these alternatives are not available to every reactor and utility that is faced with a spent-fuel storage problem. Generally, utilities are reracking or are planning to rerack those spent-fuel pools that can be reracked with higher-density racks or double-tiered racks. Where reracking is not feasible, then fuel transshipments are being performed or considered. Since none of the other alternatives have been fully approved and licensed, these alternatives are all being evaluated. More specifically, this report concentrates on the reactors that are projected to lose full-core reserve discharge capability by the end of 1990. Reactor discharge dates, spent-fuel storage capacity, and inventory were integrated to project the loss of full-core reserve. The primary results from the integration of this data revealed that 40 reactors were projected to losemore » full-core reserve prior to 1990. These 40 reactors represent 23 different utilities. Each utility is aware of their own spent-fuel storage problem, and each utility is progressing to minimize the problem or evaluating all the alternatives.« less