A ship that will carry nuclear waste from France for storage at the Lucas Heights nuclear facility for storage has been declared safe to begin its voyage.
Spent nuclear fuel was sent to France for reprocessing in the 1990s and early 2000s, and the waste is required under French law to have left that country by the end of 2015.
A spokesman for the Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation (ANSTO) said nuclear fuel reprocessing entailed removal of materials such as uranium and plutonium, stabilisation of the remaining material in glass, and placing it in a transport/storage container.
“As per the process on the record, the container will be placed on a nuclear-rated ship, brought to an Australian port, and trucked to Lucas Heights with an appropriate security operation,’’ he said.
The spokesman said the ship chosen by AREVA, the company that is conducting the operation, had been fully inspected by French maritime safety authorities and the French nuclear safety regulator.
The ship’s seaworthiness was confirmed and certified, he said.
“Consistent with security requirements and practice established during nine previous export operations, ANSTO will not confirm the destination port, land route, or timing,’’ he said.
“The material will be retained at ANSTO’s Lucas Heights facility until the National Radioactive Waste Management Facility is sited, constructed and licensed.”
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