Used nuclear fuel is a byproduct of electricity generation by nuclear power plants. Canadian nuclear power plants operating today are fuelled by uranium pellets that are sealed inside zirconium tubes and arranged into fuel bundles.

Once a fuel bundle has been used to generate electricity, it is highly radioactive and must be carefully managed for a very long period of time, essentially indefinitely.

Used nuclear fuel in Canada is safely managed on an interim basis in licensed facilities at nuclear reactor sites. The NWMO is responsible for the long-term management of this used fuel in a deep geological repository.

Yes. The transportation of radioactive material is a well-established practice.

Approximately 750,000 packages of nuclear substances are transported in Canada every year. They move by land, air and sea, under strict regulation that ensures that they pose very little threat.

As for used nuclear fuel specifically, Canada has proven and continues to demonstrate its ability to safely transport used fuel, with hundreds of shipments made since the 1960s. Other countries have shipped more than 20,000 shipments worldwide by road, rail and water over the past 60 years. None have caused harm to people or the environment as a result of the release of radioactive materials.

Yes. The storage containers that will be placed in the deep geological repository for used nuclear fuel are part of a series of engineered and natural barriers that will work together to contain and isolate the used fuel.

The containers are made of thick, solid steel and welded shut. The steel has the mechanical strength to withstand the pressures of the overlying rock and even future glaciations. The outermost layer of the container consists of corrosion-resistant copper coating.

Before being buried, the containers will undergo non-destructive examination using ultrasonic high-frequency sound waves that can characterize thickness and internal structure. They will also be tested to ensure there are no flaws in the weld or copper coating.