SHIPMENT OF SPENT NUCLEAR FUEL FROM THE CZECH REPUBLIC FOR REPROCESSING

After more than 50 years of operation of the research reactor operated by UJV Rez, a. s. (UJV) or the Research Centre Ref, as the case may be, a large amount of spent nuclear fuel (SNF) of Russian origin has accumulated. In 2005, UJV joined the Russian Research Reactor Fuel Return (RRRFR) program under the US-Russian Global Threat Reduction Initiative (GTRI) and started the process of SNF shipment from the LVR-15 research reactor back to the Russian Federation (RF) using the SKODA VPVR/M transport packaging system (TPS). Two SNF shipments from UJV were carried out in 2007 and 2013. After the shipments were completed, only low-enriched nuclear fuel with a maximum enrichment below 20% of U-235 remained on the territory of the Czech Republic. UJV also participates in, shipments of SNF from other countries. The services of UJV comprise mainly SKODA VPVR/M TPS leasing, technical oversight and expertise during cask handling, SNF loading and cask closing and sealing. Up to now, UJV has participated in thirteen shipments of SNF from eight countries; one shipment is currently being prepared. High-level radioactive waste (HLW) will be generated from SNF reprocessing. The vitrified HLW will be returned to the Czech Republic as stated in the Russian-Czech Intergovernmental Agreement on Co-operation in Nuclear Energy. The return of the waste represents very complex and complicated work, technically, legally and contractually.