SNF storage to be built in Ukraine

Ukraine PM Yuri Yekhanurov has announced the country’s intention to develop a spent nuclear fuel (SNF) storage facility in a bid to reduce costs charged by Russia for its current SNF storage solution, Nuclear Engineering International reported.

Russian prices for the transportation, processing and storage of SNF from Ukrainian plants were raised to $720/kg recently, still considerably lower than globally accepted prices but amounting to some $100 million annually for storage and reprocessing.

Nonetheless, according to comments attributed to the Prime Minister, site selection for an SNF storage facility is underway as the country will have to assume responsibility for its own waste storage from 2008, when the current arrangements with Russia draw to a close.

In 2012 Ukraine will receive the first batch of SNF from Russia following the passage of a law that mandates repatriation.