The Status of Nuclear Waste from NPP in Romania

Abstract

AREN founded in 1990 is a Romanian NGO focused to sustain its employees or corporate members to develop all kinds of nuclear activities in connection with environmental protection as a scientific organization, having as the first objective activities with respect to Cernavoda NPP. As the only CANDU type reactor equipped Nuclear Power Plant (NPP) in Europe, we pay very much attention to all aspects regarding implementation of this concept in our country and the consequences of this implementation. From July 1996 the first unit in operation supplied into the grid around 40 TWh electric power and around 400 Tcal of thermal power for district heating until September 2004. The second unit is still under construction managed also by the Canadian project team, having a finalization target year of 2007. The temporary LILW, and spent fuel dry storage facilities are also on Cernavoda NPP site inside the safety exclusion area boundary of the first unit. The capacity of temporary LILW warehouse concrete building, practically located into the security plant fence, is around 2,400 m3. T he occupied capacity is estimated as 140 m3 until the end of 2004. The spent fuel dry storage MACSTOR type (a Canadian solution for spent fuel storage) with about 12,000 spent fuel bundles capacity is in operation on Cernavoda NPP site, since May 2003. Nuclearelectrica as the owner implemented all the projects based on the licenses and permits granted by the National Commission for Nuclear Activities Control (CNCAN) for each step: the sitting, construction, commissioning and operation. According to the specific Romanian regulations, every project on the site, like the interim dry storage facility, was also subject to the licensing process by the Environmental and Public Health authorities. The public acceptance has been an important step of the licensing procedure. Cernavoda NPP used different legal procedures for public debate including announcements in local and national newspapers and public hearing. No objections against the nuclear facilities on Cernavoda site have been raised. This paper develops the status, policy and trends regarding management of NPP Cernavoda nuclear waste and provides a short description of site environmental monitoring from a pro-nuclear NGO member point of view like a member of AREN.