Australia's HIFAR research reactor, run by the Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation (ANSTO) has operated routinely at Lucas Heights since 1958. The research reactor provides the basis of Australia's nuclear medicine capability through the production of medical diagnostic and therapeutic products.
The reactor also provides a national facility for use by neutron beam researchers from across Australia and overseas, to allow, for example, research into new materials. Irradiates products for industry; silicon for use in computer chips, for example. The reactor produces radioisotopes used in environmental management, agriculture, industry and minerals exploration.
In particular, around 470,000 doses of reactor produced nuclear medicine are administered to Australians each year. Every Australian can expect to require a nuclear medicine product in their lifetime.
In environmental management, materials from the reactor are used both in Australia and the Asia-Pacific region to trace the movement of pollutants, such as sewage, in our oceans and waterways. In industry, ANSTO's radioisotopes are used in non-destructive testing, for example, of pipeline welds, and in process controls in industries involving plastic, steel, concrete and minerals – where density measurement is a key requirement.
Spent research reactor fuel
The HIFAR research reactor has 25 fuel elements containing enriched uranium encased in aluminium. Every four weeks, around three of these elements no longer operate efficiently and are "spent". HIFAR uses around 37 fuel elements annually.
- ANSTO's used research reactor elements are each 600 mm long and 100 mm in diameter. Before use, each contains about 150 grams of uranium-235, which is alloyed with (i.e. combined and incorporated into) aluminium.
- Some fuel used in HIFAR has been obtained from the US. Such fuel, when spent, can be repatriated to the US, where the US Government takes ownership of it.
- The US Government is then responsible for the safe storage and disposition of this material. No waste arising from the storage or handling of this spent fuel is returned to Australia from the US.
The Process
1. Short-term Storage
Once discharged from the reactor, the used or spent fuel elements were stored for several years under water, where they lost much of their activity. The fuel elements were then transferred to a dry storage facility consisting of holes drilled into the bedrock and lined with stainless steel.
The Australian Government has funded ANSTO to ship overseas all the spent fuel arising from the operation of the HIFAR research reactor. This reduction in the storage of spent fuel at Lucas Heights is strongly supported by the local community. The fuel has been shipped to France and the 2006 shipment will go to the United States. In the case of the shipment in 2006, the spent fuel will be repatriated to the United States, where the US Government will take ownership of the fuel and be responsible for its storage and ultimate disposal.
2. Loading the elements
Following established and practised procedures, the spent fuel elements are loaded into purpose-built cylindrical transport casks, weighing around 25 tonnes. These casks have been used in a number of previous shipments in Australia and in other countries, with an exemplary safety record. The casks are then drained, vacuum-dried and hermetically sealed.
3. Transferring the Casks
The loaded casks are tied down in specially strengthened steel shipping ISO containers and transported by road to the port.
4. Loading the Casks
ANSTO contracts a specialist transport agent responsible for the transport between the reactor and the ship.
5. Sea transportation
Sea transportation will be carried out on a dedicated ship meeting the requirements of the INF-2 classification set down by the International Maritime Organisation (IMO). The INF Code applies to ships carrying Irradiated Nuclear Fuel. The European flagged ship carries sufficient fuel to complete a journey without any port-call.
It has:
- Lateral reinforcement tanks for minimising damage and for safety.
- Additional fire fighting and detection systems.
- Duplicated electrical systems.
- Radiological monitoring systems.
- Modern communication and tracking systems
Transporting radioactive spent fuel
Radioactive materials have been transported across Australia and between Australia and other countries for more than forty years.
An estimated 20 million packages containing radioactive materials are transported throughout the world each year, with an excellent safety record. There have been no serious consequences as a result of the radioactive nature of such material being transported or being involved in transport accidents.
Since 1971, there have been over 7,000 shipments of spent fuel with a total distance travelled of more than 30 million
kilometres. There has never been an incident that resulted in the release of radioactivity.
Such transport is carried out in strict accordance with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Regulations for the Safe Transport of Radioactive Material. These regulations protect transport workers and the public, as well as property, from the direct or indirect effects of radiation during the transport of radioactive materials.
The Regulations consider all possible operations and conditions associated with the movement of radioactive materials, including both normal and accident conditions. Every step of the transportation process – from how the packages are designed to how they are consigned, handled and stored in transit, as well as how they are received at the final destination – is covered in the Regulations.
In the case of the transport of spent research reactor fuel from Australia, arrangements for the shipments are reviewed and approved by Department of Environment and Heritage, the Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA), the Australian Safeguards and Non-Proliferation Office (ASNO) and the Australian Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety Agency (ARPANSA).
The Shipment Casks
The internationally approved Type B packages (used by ANSTO) must be able to withstand the effects of a severe accident without releasing their radioactive contents.
The casks must meet stringent leak tightness provisions and satisfy a mechanical test, then a thermal test and then a water immersion test.
These include:
- A drop test from a height of nine metres onto an unyielding surface.
- A puncture test onto a steel bar.
- A thermal test that subjects the package to a hydrocarbon fuel/air fire with an average flame temperature of 800 degrees C for 30 minutes.
- A water test, where the package is immersed under at least 15 metres of water for a period of not less than eight hours, and at 200 metres for not less than one hour.
The Ultimate Crash test
Type B packages have survived some extreme tests, the most spectacular being a British demonstration in which a diesel locomotive pulling three carriages was smashed into a nuclear fuel cask at 165 kilometres an hour. The cask suffered only minor damage and no significant leakage. The locomotive was destroyed!
The amount of radioactivity detectable on the outside of the heavily shielded transport casks is extremely small. By remaining constantly in the vicinity of the cask itself 24 hours a day for a week, a person would be exposed to only half the amount of radiation they receive from natural sources in a year.
Questions & answers
1. What route will be used to transport the shipment?
The route for the transport to a Sydney wharf will be along major Sydney suburban roadways. The NSW Police determine the precise route and escort the shipment. In accordance with Australia's obligations under international conventions for the protection of the public and the safeguarding of nuclear materials, route details and timing are not published in advance.
The risk in transporting spent fuel has been assessed by the regulatory authorities as very low – far less than that associated with the transportation of other hazardous materials such as flammables and corrosive substances. Like other vehicles that carry hazardous material, the vehicles used will be marked according to the transport code.
1A. Why is the shipment travelling along a route where hazardous materials are banned?
As noted, the NSW Police determine the precise route and escort the shipment. Under NSW law, the Commissioner of Police has the power to waive normal restrictions on the use of particular routes.
2. Which authorities have regulatory responsibility for the shipment?
The Australian Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety Agency (ARPANSA) and the Australian Maritime Safety Agency (AMSA) have the prime regulatory responsibility for the shipment. Other Commonwealth and State agencies are involved, as appropriate, including the NSW Police. For the journey from Lucas Heights to the port, the shipment satisfies the requirements of the Australian Code of Practice for the Safe Transport of Radioactive Substances.
3. What are the security arrangements for the shipment?
The shipment will satisfy all international safeguards and security requirements. These include the Convention on the Physical Protection of Nuclear Material and the International Atomic Energy Agency's Physical Protection Recommendations and Safe Transport Regulations.
4. Has the local community been informed about the shipment?
The Government and ANSTO have previously made it clear that a number of shipments of spent fuel were likely to be sent to France and the US, and as a matter of courtesy, ANSTO have – as in the case of previous shipments - written to Federal and State MPs and local councils in the area, advising them of a forthcoming shipment.
5. Won't the shipment have a serious impact on public health or the environment?
Shipments such as this - including from Australia - have occurred world-wide for more than 35 years, with no public health effects or significant impact on the environment. The transport arrangements conform strictly to the relevant Australian and international requirements for the safe transport of nuclear materials. The spent fuel is packed in special, purpose-designed and built transport casks which meet the requirements of the International Atomic Energy Agency and the Australian and French transport authorities. The arrangements for the program of shipments have been assessed and approved by the Department of the Environment and Heritage under the Environment Protection (Impact of Proposals) Act.
6. What insurance arrangements apply to personal injuries caused by radiation as a result of an accident during the transportation of spent fuel elements from Lucas Heights to the Sydney port?
In accordance with standard nuclear materials shipping arrangements, and against the extremely remote possibility of an accident, nuclear liability arrangements provide coverage for the shipment. In addition, the Commonwealth government has committed to meet any and all damages claims awarded against ANSTO as a result of any accident during that transportation.
In some 40 years’ experience of transporting thousands of such shipments of radioactive materials around the world in accordance with the IAEA Transport Regulations, there have been no injuries incurred as a result of the radioactive nature of the material.
7. Where does spent fuel go?
The ANSTO spent fuel is transported by sea, road and rail to the US Department of Energy’s site at Savannah River, South Carolina. At Savannah River, the spent fuel is unloaded from the transport cask underwater and transferred to one of the large cooling ponds and ultimately into dry storage facilities.
8. How do you know that treated spent fuel is not used in the making of nuclear weapons?
All nuclear material sent abroad from Australia is subject to strict accounting procedures controlled by the Australian Safeguards and Non-Proliferation Office (ASNO) and cannot be used in nuclear weapons.
9. How many spent fuel elements are being taken to US in this shipment?
This year, 330 used fuel elements will be transported. This represents the fuel from around nine years of reactor operations. So far 1792 fuel rods in total have been sent overseas.
11. When will the treated waste come back to Australia and where will it go?
There will be no waste returned to Australia from the shipment to the US.
12. Will the shipment of spent fuel through suburbs impact at all on the normal levels of radiation that exist in the urban environment?
No, given the protective casing and the fact that the transport will not be stopping along its transport route, the normal levels of background radiation will not alter and there will be no impact whatsoever on people along the route. An ANSTO vehicle with radiation monitoring equipment always accompanies the trucks and no effect on the route has ever been detected. The independent nuclear regulator, ARPANSA, will check radiation levels before and after the trucks travel the route to confirm there has been no change.
13. What is being done to ensure the safety of those people involved in the transporting of the spent fuel, such as truck drivers?
The road transport in Australia is controlled by the Code of Practice for the Safe Transport of Radioactive Material issued by ARPANSA. This defines the requirements for package shielding and radiation levels in order to ensure that the radiation dose is as low as reasonably achievable.
The drivers will be wearing dosimeters that measure radioactivity to confirm that their proximity to the transport containers will result in radiation doses that are well within the public dose limits.
14. Why don’t you take out ads in the local paper telling people that a shipment of spent fuel is coming through their area – so they can leave if they want to?
ANSTO writes to local councils prior to the shipment taking place, informing them that the shipment is imminent. International best practice guidelines are not to specifically inform members of the public exactly when shipments are taking place. This is to minimise the opportunity for disruption occurring and to maintain security. There is no danger to members of the public from the radioactive nature of the shipment.
In more than 7,000 shipments of spent fuel worldwide, there has never been an incident that resulted in the release of radioactivity.
15. What happens if the spent fuel is stolen – can it be turned into material for use in the making of ‘dirty bombs’?
The spent fuel is transported in casks weighing around 25 tonnes each, so they are not easy to steal! Special equipment and facilities would be required to open the casks and handle the fuel. The containers are locked and special seals applied, so any attempt at tampering with the containers would be detected.
Spent fuel is not a preferred target for material for dirty bombs. The fuel is in solid form, only half a millimetre thick, encased in aluminium. Spent fuel cannot be handled without shielding from the radiation.
16. What happens if a terrorist directs an explosive device at either the trucks or the ship transporting the spent fuel?
Tests in the US and Europe have shown that explosive devices such as terrorist bombs are very unlikely to penetrate the thick walls of the cask and would not cause any major leakage of radioactive material to cause significant health issues.
17. What happens if there is a traffic incident involving one of the trucks carrying the spent fuel?
Tests in the US have demonstrated that, at the truck speed of this shipment in Australia, a traffic accident cannot cause a leakage of radioactivity.
18. Why is the spent fuel produced?
The spent fuel comes from the production of medical diagnostic and therapeutic products, the research ANSTO conducts into new materials, the irradiation of silicon and the production of radioisotopes used in environmental management, agriculture, and industry and minerals exploration.
So prevalent is the application of radioisotopes used in nuclear medicine in this country, for instance, that, on average, every Australian can expect to require a nuclear medicine product in their lifetime.
The spent fuel, therefore, comes from a range of activities that impact positively on the life of every single Australian, as well as many people in the Asia-Pacific region where ANSTO exports to. Life as we know it would be very different without the benefits nuclear science provides.
Published: 09/12/2006