TECHNICAL REPORT 93-34 SKB ANNUAL REPORT 1993 Including Summaries of Technical Reports Issued during 1993 Stockholm, May 1994 SVENSK KARNBRANSLEHANTERING AB SWEDISH NUCLEAR FUEL AND WASTE MANAGEMENT CO BOX 5864 S-102 40 STOCKHOLM TEL. 08-665 28 00 TELEX 13108 SKB S TELEFAX08-66157 19 SKB ANNUAL REPORT 1993 including Summaries of Technical Reports Issued during 1993 Stockholm, May 1994 FOREWORD The Annual Report on SKB's activities during 1993 covers planning, constructing and operational activities as well as research, development, demonstration work and information activities. SKB has an operating and well integrated system for handling of all radioactive residues within Sweden. With the central repository for final disposal of low and medium level waste, SFR, and the central interim storage facility for spent fuel, CLAB, in operation, SKB can take care of all radioactive waste produced inside Sweden for a long time ahead. For the remaining facilities - the encapsulation plant and the final repository for spent nuclear fuel - compre- hensive research and planning activities is well under way. The siting process for the final repository for spent fuel has started with discussions and feasibility studies in a few Swedish municipalities which have expressed interest in expanding their knowledge on how a repository would influence their region. International co-operation and exchange of informa- tion in all fields of the back-end of the nuclear fuel cycle is important and of great value for SKB's work. We hope this Annual Report will be of interest and that it will enhance the international information exchange. Stockholm in June 1994 SWEDISH NUCLEAR FUEL AND WASTE MANAGEMENT CO - SKB Sten Bjurström \j President ABSTRACT This is the annual report on the activities of the Swedish - Characterization and leaching of spent nuclear fuel. Nuclear Fuel and Waste Management Co. SKB. It con- tains in part I an overview of SKB activities in different - Properties of bemonitc for buffer, backfilling and seal- fields. Part II gives a description of the research and ing. development work on nuclear waste disposal performed during 1993. - Radionuclide transport in biosphere and dose evalu- Lectures and publications during 1993 as well as re- ations. ports issued in the SKB technical report series are listed in part III. Part III also contains listing of consultants - Development of performance and safety assessment which have contributed to the SKB work and of post- methodology and assessment models. graduate theses supported by SKB. Part IV contains the summaries of all technical reports - Construction of an underground research laboratory. issued during 1993. SKB is the owner of CLAB, the Central Facility for Geological site-investigations are a substantial part of Interim Storage of Spent Nuclear Fuel, located at Oskars- the programme. In the Äspö Hard Rock Laboratory meth- hamn. CLAB was taken into operation in July 1985 and odologies for characterizing rock are refined and evalu- to the end of 1993 in total 1 885 tonnes of spent fuel ated. In May 1994 there are 8 foreign organizations par- (measured as uranium) have been received. Transporta- ticipating in the Äspö HRL project. tion from the nuclear sites to CLAB is made by a special The siting activities for a deep repository includes ship, M/S Sigyn. general background studies (overview studies) and feasi- At Forsmark the final repository for Radioactive Waste bility studies in municipalities having a good potential for - SFR - was taken into operation in April 1988. The hosting a repository and being interested in such a study. repository is situated in crystalline rock under the Baltic Presently (May 1994) the municipalities of Storuman and Sea. The first construction phase includes rock caverns Mala have decided to participate in feasibility studies. for 60 000 m3 of waste. A second phase for additional Cost calculations for the total nuclear waste manage- 30 000 nv is planned to be built and commissioned ment system, including decommissioning of all reactors, around the year 2000. At the end of 1993 a total of 13 000 are updated annually. The total cost is estimated to 57 m3 of waste have been deposited in SFR. billion SEK. SKB is in charge of a comprehensive research and development programme on geological disposal of nu- SKB also handles matters pertaining to prospecting and clear waste. The total cost for R&D during 1993 was enrichment as well as stockpiling of uranium as strategic 180.3 MSEK of which 78.2 MSEK were investments in reserves for the Swedish nuclear power industry. the Äspö Hard Rock Laboratory. Consulting services from SKB and associated expert Some of the main areas for SKB research are: groups are available on a commercial basis. From the start of these services in 1985 and up to the end of 1993 about - Groundwatcr movements. 100 assignments have been accomplished in a variety of areas. - Bedrock stability. Information activities are an integrated and important part of the Swedish radioactive waste management sys- - Groundwatcr chemistry and nuclidc migration. tem. During 1993 successful public information activities - Methods and instruments for in situ characterization have been carried out using mobile exhibitions in a tailor- of crystalline bedrock. made trailer and on the SKB ship M/S Sigyn. CONTENTS Page PARTI OVERVIEW OF SKB ACTIVITIES i General Background 1 2 Interim Storage of Spent Fuel, CLAB 5 3 Transportation 9 4 Final Repository for Radioactive Waste. SFR II 5 Deep Repository Project 13 6 Encapsulation Plant Project 19 7 Summary of Research. Development and Demonstration Activities 23 8 Cost Calculations 29 9 Nuclear Fuel Supply 31 10 Consulting Services 35 11 Public Affairs and Media Relations 39 References Part I 43 PART II RESEARCH, DEVELOPMENT AND DEMONSTRATION DURING 1993 12 Review of RD&D-Programme 92 51 13 Technical Planning of Site Investigations and Construction of a Deep Repository 61 14 Safety Analysis 67 15 Supporting Research and Development 73 16 Other Long-lived Waste than Spent Nuclear Fuel 121 17 The Äspö Hard Rock Laboratory 125 18 Alternative Methods 131 19 International Cooperation 135 20 Documentation 139 References Part II 143 PART III APPENDICES Appendix 1 Organization Charts for SKB and its Divisions April 1994 159 Appendix 2 Lectures and Publications 1993 161 Appendix 3 List of SKB Annual Reports 1977 - 1992 169 Appendix 4 List of SKB Tecnical Reports 1993 171 Appendix 5 Authors of SKB Technical Reports 1993 175 Appendix 6 Contractors SKB R&D 1993 179 Appendix 7 Post-graduate Theses Supported by SKB 181 PART IV SUMMARIES OF TECHNICAL REPORTS ISSUED DURING 1993 SKB Technical Reports No. 93-01 - 93-33 185 VII SKB ANNUAL REPORT 1993 Parti Overview of SKB Activities CONTENTS PART I Page 1 GENERAL BACKGROUND 1 1.1 The Swedish Nuclear Power Progn. nme 1 1.2 Legal and Organizational Frame-., k 1 1.3 The Swedish Nuclear Waste Ma gement System 3 2 INTERIM STORAGE OF SPENT FUEL, CLAB 5 2.1 General 5 2.2 Operating Experiences 5 2.3 Increased Storage Capacity 6 3 TRANSPORTATION 9 3.1 General 9 3.2 Operating Experiences 9 4 FINAL REPOSITORY FOR RADIO- ACTIVE WASTE, SFR 11 4.1 General 11 4.2 Design and Construction 11 4.3 Waste Acceptance 11 4.4 Safety Assessment 11 4.5 Operation 12 5 DEEP REPOSITORY PROJECT 13 5.1 General 13 5.2 The Planned Siting Process 13 5.3 Present Siting Activities 15 5.4 Technical Studies of a Deep Repository System 16 5.5 Site-Investigation Programme 18 5.6 Environmental Impact Assessment Studies 18 6 ENCAPSULATION PLANT PROJECT 19 6.1 General 19 6.2 Development of Canister Design and Lid Welding Technique 20 6.3 Design of the Encapsulation Plant :i XI Page SUMMARY OF RESEARCH, DEVELOPMENT AND DEMON- STRATION ACTIVITIES 23 7.1 General 23 7.2 Safety Analysis 23 7.2.1 General 23 7.2.2 Scenario methodology 23 7.2.3 The copper/steel canister 24 7.2.4 Bentonite - groundwater interaction 24 7.2.5 Modelling of transport in the far field 24 7.3 Supporting Research and Development 25 7.3.1 General 25 7.3.2 Engineered barriers 25 7.3.3 Geoscience 25 7.3.4 Chemistry 26 7.3.5 Natural analogues 26 7.3.6 Biosphere 26 7.4 Other Long-lived Wastes 27 7.5 Äspö Hard Rock Laboratory 27 7.6 Alternative Methods 28 7.7 International Cooperation 28 8 COST CALCULATIONS 29 8.1 Cost Calculations and Back-end Fee 29 8.2 Reprocessing 29 8.3 Decommissioning of Nuclear Power Plants 29 9 NUCLEAR FUEL SUPPLY 31 9.1 Natural Uranium 31 9.2 Conversion and Enrichment 31 9.3 Fabrication of Fuel Assemblies 32 9.4 Nuclear Fuel Stockpile 32 9.5 Costs 33 10 CONSULTING SERVICES 35 10.1 Background 35 10.2 NWM Work during 1993 36 11 PUBLIC AFFAIRS AND MEDIA RELATIONS 39 11.1 General 39 11.2 SKB Information Activities 39 11.3 SKfi Information Material 39 REFERENCES PART I 43 Xll 1 GENERAL BACKGROUND 1.1 THE SWEDISH NUCLEAR SKB is also in charge of the comprehensive research programme in the waste field which the utilities are res- POWER PROGRAMME ponsible for according to the law. Finally SKB handles The nuclear power programme of Sweden consists of 12 matters pertaining to enrichment and reprocessing ser- nuclear reactors located at four different sites and with a vices as well as stockpiling of uranium for the Swedish combined capacity of 10 000 MW net electric power. Main nuclear power industry and provides assistance at the data and location of the 12 units are shown in Figure I -1. request of its owners in uranium procurement.