New Package for the Transport of Fresh MOX Fuel Assemblies in Europe

Abstract

The use of Mixed Oxide Fuels (MOX) in commercial reactors has increased significantly over the past 10 years as an effective way of using stocks of plutonium produced from reprocessing uranium fuels. Now, with advances in fuel design, MOX can give performance approaching that of enriched uranium fuel. To meet demand from European and Japanese utilities, British Nuclear Fuels are in the process of commissioning a large capacity plant at Sellafield to assemble MOX fuels. This has required a new transport package to be developed capable of carrying high specification fuels to customers in Europe whilst complying with the 1996 IAEA ST-1 Transport Regulations. This package is known as Euromox and currently under development to enter service in 2003. Relatively few packages exist for the transport of MOX fuels and Euromoxis the first designed by BNFL for shipments to Europe. Euromox has provided several technical challenges in its development arguably exceeding those typically encountered during the development of new package for irradiated fuel transports.