Transportation

Jul 4, 2012

Q&A with: Ulf Stahmer, NWMO

As Canada’s used fuel inventory is currently stored at seven nuclear sites across four provinces, transportation of the nuclear material to a centralized facility is required. While there may be concerns about the transportation of used nuclear fuel, Canadian and international experience demonstrate that used fuel can be transported safely.

The NWMO is committed to planning and operating a safe and secure transportation system that incorporates the lessons learned from over 40,000 shipments worldwide over 45 years. The NWMO acknowledges that transportation is of great interest to the public. The NWMO will identify preferred transportation modes and potential routes, and will welcome communities along the transportation route as a large group with a shared interest to raise questions or concerns to be addressed in the process.

Where is Canada’s used nuclear fuel currently stored?

Canada’s used nuclear fuel inventory is currently stored at seven nuclear sites across four provinces; transportation of the nuclear material to a centralized facility is a necessary component of Adaptive Phased Management (APM). A key component of APM is the design and implementation of an integrated transportation plan for the safe, secure delivery of used fuel from current, interim storage locations to Canada’s long-term facility. Approximately 90% of Canada’s used nuclear fuel is located in Ontario, and about 5% each in New Brunswick and Quebec.

When will the transportation of used fuel to the deep geological repository begin?

Transporting used nuclear fuel could begin in 2035 at the earliest, upon completion of the deep geological repository. Based on current projections, a total of 4.6 million used fuel bundles will be shipped to the repository over a 38-year period. Fuel bundles are about the size of a replace log and weigh approximately 24 kilograms each.

How is the transportation of used nuclear fuel regulated?

In Canada, a comprehensive regulatory framework governs the transportation of radioactive materials. Safe and secure movement of used fuel is highly regulated and conducted in accordance with the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission (CNSC) and Transport Canada regulations.

The CNSC regulates the transport of nuclear material through the Packaging and Transport of Nuclear Substances Regulations. These include a series of safetybased regulatory requirements such as package design requirements, operational controls during transport, loading and unloading of the package, and inspection and maintenance requirements. The CNSC certies the transport package design and issues a licence to transport in accordance with these regulations. A CNSC fact sheet on regulating packaging and transport of nuclear substances is available at http://nuclearsafety.gc.ca/eng/readingroom/factsheets/packaging-andtransport-of-nuclear-substances.cfm.

Transport Canada establishes requirements for training, emergency planning, labelling, safe handling and documentation, and carries out compliance inspections. Transport Canada’s regulations for the transportation of dangerous goods have been adopted at the provincial and territorial levels through agreements.

The NWMO will have to meet the regulatory requirements and will have the responsibility for all used fuel transportation operations to the repository. This includes planning, obtaining licences, documenting, tracking all shipments, and ensuring that workers and first responders are adequately trained.

How robust are the transportation containers?

Packages designed to transport used nuclear fuel are based on international standards and Canadian regulations. The containers are extremely robust and are tested to provide protection against the impact of a severe collision and the effects of fire and immersion in water.

The current package design prototype is made of a solid stainless steel box with walls nearly 30 centimetres thick and a lid attached by 32 bolts. It has been designed to meet a series of challenging performance requirements – specied in the CNSC transportation regulations – and based on international standards to demonstrate the ability to withstand severe impact, fire and immersion in water. The package can contain 192 used fuel bundles, weighs almost 35 tonnes when loaded and can be carried by all modes of transport. The CNSC is responsible for reviewing the design of the package and ensuring that the package passes all tests before issuing a certicate of approval.

Ulf Stahmer is a licensed Professional Engineer who began his career designing brake systems for freight railcars. For the past 12 years, Mr. Stahmer has held senior engineering positions in Radioactive Waste Transportation Design for Ontario Power Generation and the NWMO. He has authored several papers presented at international conferences and is a member of the Canadian Advisory Committee for the Transportation of Radioactive Material. Mr. Stahmer has seven patents.

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