COMPUTATIONAL SIMULATION OF POST-DECOMMISSIONING AFTERBURNING OF FAS FROM UNITS 1 AND 2 OF LENINGRAD NPP

Abstract

The RBMK-1000 reactor operates in a continuous refueling mode. The reactor core comprises FAs across the burn-up spectrum, from fresh fuel assemblies to the most burnt-up ones. Following the reactor shutdown for decommissioning, the majority of irradiated fuel assemblies (IFA) have the potential for further use (the so-called afterburning) at operating NPP units. Most of the irradiated fuel assemblies have a burn-up fraction, which is far from the specified threshold value. The neutron multiplication factor in the cell exceeds the core average value and, therefore, the IFA loading makes it possible to increase the reactivity margin to the desired value. Reuse of spent fuel assemblies in reactors at other power units offers a number of advantages. In economic terms, afterburning is able to reduce the use of fresh fuel assemblies (FFA). In terms of radioactive waste handling, afterburning is able to reduce the number of irradiated fuel assemblies, which require long-time storage in a spent nuclear fuel repository thus reducing the IFA and radioactive waste disposal loads. JSC NIKIET has proposed the use of irradiated fuel assemblies from units 1 and 2 of Leningrad NPP shut down after decommissioning in reactors at units 3 and 4 of the same NPP.