ARPANSA - Australian Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety Agency

Date: 11 January 2008

ARPANSA RECEIVES SUBMISSION FROM ANSTO FOR MODIFIED FUEL FOR OPAL REACTOR

On 21 December 2007, the CEO of the Australian Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety Agency (ARPANSA), Dr John Loy, received a submission from the Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation (ANSTO) seeking approval for a new design of fuel for the Open Pool Australian Light-water (OPAL) reactor.

In July 2007, ANSTO discovered that several fuel plates had become displaced from their original positions in the core of the OPAL reactor. The reactor has been shutdown since this discovery to allow the incident to be investigated. As a result of this investigation, ANSTO deemed it necessary to modify the design of the fuel used in the reactor.

ARPANSA legislation imposes a requirement on ANSTO to seek the CEO of ARPANSA’s approval prior to making any modification to the OPAL reactor or its fuel that has significant implications for Nuclear Safety.

In addition to detailed information about the design of the proposed replacement fuel, which is intended to prevent any future dislodgement, ANSTO’s submission includes a root cause analysis, which examines the cause of the dislodgement of the fuel plates. The submission also outlines proposals for taking the OPAL reactor back to power.

ARPANSA have commenced reviewing the submission in detail. ARPANSA are utilising external expertise to assist in its evaluation of the submission, particularly in the areas of vibration and of reactor fuel design and manufacture.

The CEO has arranged for a briefing and discussion of the submission by the Nuclear Safety Committee to be held on 25 January 2008.

The following document is available on the ARPANSA website:

• Executive Assessment and Summary – Fuel Assembly Design Modification to Incorporate a Stopper – E0083 (PDF 72kb)

 

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