Where to store spent nuclear fuel?

Nuclear fuel is the main cost driver for Enerhoatom, the operator of Ukraine’s functioning nuclear power plants. Last year this state company spent over two billion hryvnias for this purpose, which accounts for 22 percent of the company’s total costs. However, the money was not only used to buy fresh fuel, but also to store spent nuclear fuel in Russia. The cost of Russia’s services is rising constantly and is now nearing average world prices. Over the last 10 years it has increased by 1.75 times. A similar situation exists with the cost of nuclear waste processing by foreign companies. There appears to be a simple solution: nuclear waste processing facilities should be created at home. It is economically and politically expedient to do so. The only two countries that operate nuclear power plants and pay to have spent nuclear fuel processed abroad are Ukraine and Bulgaria. Most countries have chosen the path of the so- called postponed resolution (temporary storage of spent nuclear fuel to secure a timeout for making a sound and reasoned final decision to process or bury spent fuel in the future, when processing technologies become cheaper than the production of fuel from natural uranium). To date, only France and Japan recycle spent nuclear fuel.

This problem is being extensively discussed in Ukraine. A packet of measures has also been developed to implement a project to build a centralized storage facility for spent nuclear fuel. The discussions it has sparked (a roundtable was recently held with the participation of leading specialists from various departments, as well as parliamentarians) indicate agreement that such a storage facility is necessary and possible to build.

Processing of spent nuclear fuel is not economically feasible today. At the same time, shipments of spent nuclear fuel to Russia are not resolving the problem of radioactive waste, which is returned to Ukraine under contracts with Russia. Its storage and disposal in Ukraine entails additional significant costs.

According to Enerhoatom’s press service, it has been estimated that in 2006 the company will pay close to two billion US for the services of specialized Russian enterprises that process spent nuclear fuel from the Southern Ukrainian, Khmelnytsky, and Rivne Nuclear Power Plants alone (estimated on the basis of 2005 prices). At the same time, it would cost only 520 million US to build our own storage facility and operate it for 100 years (based on 2005 prices).

Commenting on these figures, Enerhoatom representatives pointed out that it is possible to save an annual 40 million US by storing spent nuclear fuel on the premises of the Zaporizhia Nuclear Power Plant, which has its own storage facility, instead of transporting it to Russia.

Aside from the obvious economic benefits, the construction of a centralized storage facility for spent nuclear fuel is also politically motivated, as it would eliminate foreign influence on the stable operations of Ukrainian nuclear facilities. Cooling ponds for spent nuclear fuel at the power units of Ukrainian nuclear power plants have limited storage capacity, and any delays in the removal of accumulated spent nuclear fuel could require shutdowns of power units. The creation of a storage facility for spent nuclear fuel from the Southern Ukrainian, Khmelnytsky, and Rivne NPPs, along with the functioning storage facility at the Zaporizhia NPP, would relieve Enerhoatom of its dependence on the foreign monopolist. However, because this type of storage facility is classed as a nuclear installation of nationwide significance, a decision on its location, design, and construction has to be approved in parliament, which must pass the appropriate bill. Local executive and self- governance bodies must first hold a local consultative referendum and approve the construction of a centralized storage facility for spent nuclear fuel on their territory. So far it appears that experts have not agreed on the location of this facility. Now three possible locations are being considered: two in the Chornobyl NPP exclusion zone and one in Khmelnytsky oblast, on the premises of the Khmelnytsky NPP.