| Italy’s Sogin confirms spent fuel reprocessing proposal 18-01-2005 - Sogin, Italy’s state-owned company in charge of dismantling all Italian nuclear plants, has confirmed it will evaluate the possibility of temporarily exporting spent fuel to the UK for reprocessing. But has denied reports that it will try to leave nuclear material arising from the reprocessing with British Nuclear Fuels (BNFL) in the UK.
Sogin confirmed within the last few days that the Italian government has changed the country’s fuel management strategy to allow Sogin to investigate the possibility of “a temporary export of spent fuel for reprocessing”. This change was made possible by a ministerial decree that was signed into law by Italy’s trade and industry minister on 2nd December 2004.
In respect of spent fuel management strategy, the law replaces a previous decree of May 2001 under which Sogin was required to keep spent fuel in dry storage at the country’s closed nuclear power plant sites while awaiting the construction of a national repository.
However, following what the Sogin statement called “difficulties arising with local authorities” over licensing procedures for the interim storage sites, Sogin conducted a study into the technical and economic aspects of managing the country’s spent fuel and the reprocessing option was proposed.
The new law requires Sogin to define an operational solution to waste management taking into account costs, safety, security, environmental impact and timing. Sogin has emphasised that the proposal to export spent fuel for reprocessing is not the only option and that it has the freedom to act “according to the best solution”.
The law also requires “the realisation” of suitable storage facilities in Italy by 2008, while Sogin continues to look for possible sites for the temporary storage of vitrified waste.
Sogin is now preparing a European call for tenders from reprocessing service providers.
One of the stipulations of the contract would be that vitrified waste would be kept overseas until the availability of a national repository in Italy or for at least 20 years. “But it is false (to say) that Sogin would try to leave at BNFL the fresh nuclear material arising from the reprocessing,” Sogin said on 13th January 2005 in a statement issued in response to media reports.
Sogin also denied suggestions that it is actively looking into the possibility of splitting the business between European reprocessing service providers. The possibility had been mentioned, but only as a theoretical example to show how difficult it was to predict what form the eventual contract would take, said Sogin.
Italy's one-unit Garigliano and Latina nuclear power plants were shut down in 1982 and 1987 respectively. The country's remaining two units – at the Caorso and Trino nuclear plants – were closed in 1990 following a referendum. Sogin is charged with dismantling these plants and five fuel cycle plants. However, the need for Italy to reconsider its current non-nuclear policy – against a backdrop of high domestic electricity prices and commitments to reduce greenhouse gas emissions – is again a topic of serious debate in the country. Source:
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