José Cabrera nuclear power plant temporary storage facility

The temporary storage facility at José Cabrera nuclear power plant is located on the plant site and has been designed to house all the spent fuel unloaded from the reactor under dry storage conditions. It consists of a reinforced concrete slab which will support 12 storage modules and is surrounded by a single outer radiological protection fence (outside which the conditions are those of a free access zone) and a double inner security fence cordoning off the storage area.

The cask storage system comprises three components:

• Inner stainless steel container or capsule with an internal rack designed to house up to 21 fuel assemblies. This constitutes the confinement barrier for the materials stored.
• Steel and concrete storage module housing the capsule during the storage period, providing shielding against radiation, ventilation channels for the passive removal of the heat generated and structural protection for the capsule.
• Transfer container for transfer of the capsule loaded with the fuel from the pool to the storage module. This provides physical protection and biological shielding.

The facility also incorporates other components required for the performance of the operations, such as the container transfer pit and a small building designed to house the auxiliary equipment. Likewise, there is a transport container in which the inner container with the fuel will be placed for transfer when required.

In view of the passive nature of the cask dry storage systems, the maintenance requirements are minimal.