§ Mr. Foulkesasked the Secretary of State for Energy what ports of entry will be used for spent fast reactor fuel for the reprocessing plant at Dounreay.
§ Mr. GoodladThe planning application from the UKAEA and BNFL to construct a demonstration fast reactor reprocessing plant at Dounreay has been called in by the Secretary of State for Scotland and will be the subject of a public local inquiry starting on 7 April.
I am advised that the applicants have, at his request, informed the reporter to the inquiry that their present preferred port options are (in alphabetical order):
Cromarty Firth (Alness/Invergordon/Nigg)Scrabster.They have, however, told the reporter that in view of the fact that transport would not commence until the 1990s they would not require to make a decision as to their final choice of port for some years. That decision would be made in the light of the circumstances prevailing at the time.
§ Mr. Foulkesasked the Secretary of State for Energy how much prototype fast reactor fuel has been recovered at Dounreay since 1979 from the prototype fast reactor core and from the prototype fast reactor blanket; how much was reprocessed each calendar year; and how much plutonium was extracted from each in each year.
§ Mr. GoodladI am advised that the prototype fast reactor (PFR) fuel reprocessing plant first reprocessed PFR fuel in 1980 and throughput has kept pace with the arisings from the reactor. The amount of PFR core sub-assemblies reprocessed and the plutonium output from that reprocessing for each calendar year since 1980 is as follows. None of the breeder blanket sub-assemblies has been reprocessed.
4W
Year Uranium + Plutonium (kg) Plutonium Output (kg) 1980 1,181 0 1981 814 173
Year Uranium + Plutonium (kg) Plutonium Output (kg) 1982 1,206 179 1983 0 142 1984 539 124 1985 2,422 365 Total 6,162 983
§ Mr. Foulkesasked the Secretary of State for Energy what quantity of the prototype fast reactor fuel recovered at Dounreay was processed elsewhere; how much of the plutonium and uranium recovered was recycled into new prototype fast reactor fuel rods; and what is the weight of plutonium and uranium in each fuel rod and each fuel subassembly before and after irradiation.
§ Mr. GoodladI am advised that prototype fast reactor (PFR) fuel has been reprocessed only at Dounreay. Except for relatively small amounts used in experimental work associated with the PFR fuel cycle, all plutonium so recovered at Dounreay is transferred to British Nuclear Fuels (BNFL) Sellafield for fabrication into new subassemblies for use within the PFR fuel cycle. The uranium recovered is retained in store at Dounreay. The weight of plutonium and uranium in each sub-assembly before and after irradiation varies with experimental and operational requirements and with the zone in which it is placed in the reactor.