Spent fuel storage in pools at nuclear power plants
One of the key activities of ŠKODA JS is the production of equipment for spent nuclear fuel handling.
Upon removal from the reactor, spent fuel first needs to be stored in a storage pool and later in a so-called interim storage facility. The first technology category includes high-density storage racks, which are used for short-term “wet” storage of spent nuclear fuel for a period of 5–8 years.
High-density spent fuel storage racks for the VVER units
The production of high-density storage racks for VVER-type fuel is based on ŠKODA JS’s own design. The fuel rack design enables the storage of fuel assemblies (also leaked, protected by a leak-proof can) or control rod clusters in special jackets. Thanks to the compact configuration of fuel assemblies, the storage capacity of fuel racks for VVER 1000 reactors has increased by 85%.
Advantages of the high-density storage racks produced by ŠKODA JS include the possibility of their incorporation into the existing spent fuel pool and the possibility of additional installation at already operated nuclear power plants. The equipment is in full compliance with the requirements of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) for wet storage of spent nuclear fuel in the reactor hall.
Since 1993, we have supplied spent fuel storage racks to a total of 23 VVER 440 and VVER 1000 NPP units in the Czech Republic, Slovakia and Ukraine.
In the years 2019-2020, we supplied removable upper reserve racks for the storage of spent nuclear fuel at two units of the Rivne NPP.
High-density spent fuel storage racks for PWR and BWR units
In cooperation with a partner engineering organization, ŠKODA JS supplied external high-density storage racks to the Obrigheim nuclear power plant in Germany. The company mastered the demanding technology of the welding of borated stainless steel sheets, which is the base material for the construction of racks.
The previous project in the field of PWR fuel was a contract for seven sections of high-density spent fuel storage racks for the Kori 3 NPP in the Republic of Korea.
The racks for MOX fresh fuel were delivered to the German Gundremmingen NPP in 2003.
The history of our cooperation
1993 delivery of the first three sections of high-density spent nuclear fuel racks for VVER 440 reactor fuel to the Dukovany NPP
1993 delivery of storage racks for PWR reactor fuel intended for the Kori NPP, South Korea
1994 delivery of the first four sections of high-density storage racks for VVER 1000 reactor fuel for the Rivne NPP, Ukraine
1999 delivery of 20 sections of high-density storage racks for PWR reactor fuel for the Obrigheim NPP, Germany
2003 delivery of high-density storage racks for MOX fresh fuel intended for the Gundremmingen NPP, Germany
2013deliveries of two sections of storage racks for the Zaporizhzhya NPP in Ukraine and three sections for the Mochovce NPP in Slovakia
2019-2020production and delivery of removable upper storage racks for Units 1 and 2 at the Rovno NPP, Ukraine