German Spent Nuclear Fuel Legacy: Characteristics and High-Level Waste Management Issues

Table 6

Properties of the German SNF and HLW (evaluated in 2022 unless otherwise noted).

Quantity	PWR-UOX; (total/per ton)	PWR-MOX; (total/per ton)	BWR-UOX; (total/per ton)	BWR-MOX; (total/per ton)	All SNF; (total/per ton)	HLW; (total/per ton)
Alpha activity (Bq); (MCi); Spec. activity (MCi/ton)	1.9092𝐸+18; 51.6; 8.94𝐸−03	1.6872𝐸+17; 45.6; 5.81𝐸−02	1.4356𝐸+18; 38.8; 1.12𝐸−02	4.514𝐸+17; 12.2; 4.83𝐸−02	5.4797𝐸+18; 148.1; 1.44𝐸−02	5.772𝐸+17; 15.6; 7.2𝐸−02
Gamma decay power; (MW)	2.30; 3.99𝐸−04	0.23; 2.96𝐸−04	1.16; 3.34𝐸−04	0.08; 3.29𝐸−04	3.78; 3.68𝐸−04	1.20; 5.61𝐸−03
Spont. fission neutrons (×10^9 n/s)	2090; 3.62𝐸−01	1994; 2.54𝐸+00	1346; 3.88𝐸−01	636; 2.52𝐸+00	6066; 5.90𝐸−01	682; 3.18𝐸+00
Decay power in 2026^a (MW)	7.23; 1.22𝐸−03	1.89; 2.41𝐸−03	3.46; 1.0𝐸−03	0.54; 2.14𝐸−03	13.12; 1.28𝐸−03	3.09; 1.44𝐸−02
Decay power in 2122 (MW)	1.89; 3.28𝐸−04	1.01; 1.29𝐸−03	1.05; 3.02𝐸−04	0.26; 1.02𝐸−03	4.21; 4.09𝐸−04	0.57; 2.68𝐸−03
Decay heat integral^b (MW-yr)	913; 1.58𝐸−01	649; 8.28𝐸−01	539; 1.55𝐸−01	161; 6.37𝐸−01	2262; 2.20𝐸−01	206; 9.60𝐸−01
Inh. Radiotoxicity^c (Sv)					1.15𝐸+13; 1.12𝐸+06
Ing. Radiotoxicity^c (Sv)					6.05𝐸+10; 5.89𝐸+03

aEvaluated at 2026 in order to allow short-lived nuclides from recently discharged batches to decay.
bIntegral of decay power over 1900 year period commencing in 2123.
cLong-term radiotoxicities evaluated from concentrations following 10,000 year decay.