Execution experience of spent nuclear fuel dry storage projects in Taiwan

Since spent fuel pools have a limited capacity, the construction of dry storage facilities for spent nuclear fuel becomes essential whether a nuclear power plant is decommissioned or has its operating license renewed. Dry storage can fulfill the requirements for both the spent fuel pool and the mid-term storage of the fuel bundles before performing the final disposal process. The dry storage system was developed based on the relevant regulatory requirements outlined by the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC). All safety functions related to structure, thermal behavior, criticality, confinement, and shielding were gradually deployed and developed consistently in order to facilitate the dry storage safely. The primary objective of this paper is to provide the regulatory framework, current operational status, engineering background, and the near-term technological advancements related to the dry storage facilities installed in Taiwan.