Background

The transport of vitrified residues from France to Japan is provided for by the reprocessing contracts signed between COGEMA and 10 Japanese electric utilities. These contracts lay down that conditioned final residues are returned to the country of origin.

These returns begin with the transport of final waste conditioned into glass.

Schedule

• The canisters of vitrified residues, belonging to Japanese electric utilities will be loaded into transport casks in the facilities of the La Hague plant.
• The transport of the casks will take place on board of one of the ships regularly used for the transport of spent fuel and vitrified residues between Japan and Europe.
• The casks will be transported from France to Japan, by one of the three routes used for this type of transport (Panama Canal, Cape Horn, Cape of Good Hope) then transferred to a dedicated facility at Rokkasho-Mura where the canisters will be unloaded and stored.

Technical aspects

The waste arising in the fuel at a nuclear power plant amounts to only 3% of the spent fuel. In contrast to the plutonium and uranium, which are recycled since they have an important energy value (1 gram of plutonium is equivalent to 1 ton of oil), the waste has no use at all and cannot be recycled. After having been separated by reprocessing operations, it is vitrified i.e. incorporated within a very stable glass matrix. The glass is poured into a stainless steel container 1.34 m in height and 0.43 m in diameter, where it solidifies. The weight of this canister is around 500 kg.

The canisters are transported in a specific cask, licensed by French and Japanese Authorities. Each cask, designed to ensure the safety of the transport, weighs around 100 tonnes, is 6.6 m long and 2.4 m in diameter. It is similar to a spent fuel transport cask. Each cask can contain 20 or 28 canisters.

The ships have been specially designed and are only used for the transport of nuclear materials. Their length is in the range of one hundred metres. Four purpose-built ships (Pacific Sandpiper, Pacific Pintail, Pacific Teal, Pacific Swan) owned by Pacific Nuclear Transport Limited (PNTL) have been approved for the transport of vitrified residues.

The casks and ships used, as well as the organisation of the transport meet the latest requirements of the applicable international and national regulations, including those related to safety (International Atomic Energy Agency recommendations, and International Maritime Organisation).

Transport of vitrified residues to Japan
Legend:
T7	=	Vitrification facility
NPH	=	Destorage and cask loading facility
PNTL	=	Shipping company
NFT	=	Japanese transportation company