BfS issues modification licence for the Gorleben transport cask storage facility
The Federal Office for Radiation Protection (BfS) has issued a 4th modification licence for the Gorleben transport cask facility
The licence permits the use in future of the new cask type CASTOR® HAW28M at the Gorleben interim storage facility for the storage of highly active glass blocks produced during the reprocessing of irradiated nuclear fuel from German reactors in the French reprocessing plant AREVA NC at La Hague. Furthermore the 4th modification licence includes an alteration in the design of the previously authorised French TN85 transport and storage casks.
The new CASTOR® HAW28M transport and storage cask has been licensed for a maximum thermal output of 56 kW at a load of 28 HAW glass blocks. Tests conducted by the BfS have revealed that owing to shield modifications and changes in design the newly licensed cask type ensures compliance - despite an increased inventory – with the same levels of mean surface dose rate as the CASTOR® transport and storage casks used to date, not to mention the safe disposal of the increased thermal output.
Moreover the licensing of the new CASTOR® HAW28M cask and the altered design of the TN85 transport and storage casks will neither lead to any increase in the overall nuclear fuel inventory already authorised, nor to an increase in the overall thermal output of the Gorleben transport cask interim storage facility. During the licensing procedure the BfS also examined the effects of a targeted air attack involving a large passenger jet on the Gorleben transport cask interim storage facility.
Taking into account the design modifications mentioned above, the cask contamination prevention regulations passed with the 1st modification licence dated 1st December 2000 concerning loading, transport and clearance, the type regulations concerning cask type CASTOR HAW 20/28 CG SN16 passed with the 2nd modification licence on 18.01.2002, and the type regulations concerning cask type TN85 passed with the 3rd modification licence dated 23.05.2007 all remain valid.
