NATIONAL ASSEMBLY QUESTION 1319
Dr S M van Dyk (DA) to ask the Minister of Energy:
(1) Whether all spent nuclear fuel is kept on the premises at the Koeberg
nuclear power station; if so, why;
(2) Whether the special pond used to store the spent fuel has reached its
capacity; if so, (a) what plans are in place to accommodate the excess
fuel and (b) how will this problem be solved permanently;
(3) Whether there are any measures in place to dispose of the spent fuel
in this pond; if not, why not; if so, (a) what measures and (b) what
are the further relevant details? NW1462E
REPLY
1) All of Eskomâs used nuclear fuel is currently stored in the Koeberg
Nuclear Power Station (KNPS) used fuel pools and in the four dry
storage casks which are located in the cask storage building at KNPS
onsite. The storage of the used nuclear fuel at KNPS is licensed by
the National Nuclear Regulator (NNR). Fuel is kept in licensed fuel
storage pools which are built as part of the reactor facilities. There
is no approved off site facility for storage of used nuclear fuel.
2) (a) The used fuel pools at KNPS have not reached capacity.
(b) The Radioactive Waste Management Policy of 2005 has outlined the
following options for used nuclear fuel for further investigations:
⢠Long term above ground storage on an off-site facility
⢠Reprocessing, Conditioning and recycling
⢠Deep geological storage
The National Radioactive Waste Disposal Institute will manage
radioactive waste on a national basis. This Institute is currently
being established.
3) There are no immediate plans to dispose of the used fuel. That
decision will be taken after processes outlined in (2) above have been
completed.