Future

Future of Waste

Spent Fuel as a Resource

Both the uranium and plutonium that is left in the fuel elements can be used again. The extraneous materials in the rods that make up the fuel elements have to be removed and the usable uranium and plutonium remanufactured for effective fission to take place. The process which removes the uranium and plutonium from the fuel elements is known as reprocessing. It is an expensive and complicated process. For this reason three are only three reprocessing plants in the world Thorpe in England Cogema in France and Myakrt1 Chemical Combine in Russia.

Final Disposal

Reprocessing also results in a concentration of high level long-term radioactive waste. The waste levels are however lower than if the fuel elements were not reprocessed. Any nuclear waste has to be disposed of according to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) recommendations.

Many countries in the world have plans for disposal of high level waste which centre on the depp geological burial of waste.

These sites must be deep enough to prevent accidental, involuntary and voluntary intrusion. They must be located in rock which cannot be reached by water sources so that radioactivity is not ultimately carried to humans in the water. They must be seismically and geologically stable. The rock must not interact chemically with the casks in which the waste is buried and must be able to offer physical and chemical barriers to the passage of radionuclides. The sites must also be of little economic value so that no-one will want to use them for other purposes.

Koeberg will store all its spent fuel on its site for the lifetime of the station.

As yet a Government policy on high level waste has not yet been passed. It is however busy being prepare. Eskom will adhere to this policy as well as the stringent standards laid down by the IAEA.