Results of the Cylinder Identification, from Point of Manufacture to Final Disposition, for the Transport of Uranium Hexafluoride (UF_6) Workshop

摘要

Recent efforts in the safeguards community have focused on better understanding the entire lifecycle of UF_6 cylinders from the time of manufacture through final disposition. A typical cylinder lifecycle could consist of a point of manufacture, shipment to a conversion facility, movement within the conversion facility, shipment to an enrichment facility, movement through the enrichment facility, shipment to a fuel fabrication facility, several iterations of recertification and recycling the cylinders through this process and then storage, cleanout and final disposition. According to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), there are currently eight commercial conversion facilities and thirteen commercial enrichment facilities operating in the world today, with several different types of cylinders in use to transport UF_6 between and within these facilities. To begin addressing the potential proliferation concerns regarding these cylinders, the Next Generation Safeguards Initiative (NGSI) in the Office of Nonproliferation and International Security has undertaken a five year plan to develop a global tracking and monitoring system for UF_6 cylinders. This project will take advantage of currently available off-the-shelf technology. The Global Safeguards Program in the Office of Nonproliferation and Verification Research and Development (R&D) will address possible long-term R&D needs to support a cylinder tracking system. To better understand the objectives of a global tracking and monitoring system, the Global Safeguards R&D program held a workshop in March with relevant industry stakeholders involved in the various components of UF_6 cylinder lifecycles and individuals from the IAEA. The purpose of this workshop was to begin to understand the overall industry and stakeholder interests and concerns with respect to tracking and monitoring UF_6 cylinders and how long-term research and development could address these stakeholder concerns and objectives. Future long-term research and development efforts will center on the outcomes and the issues discussed by the workshop participants and are the subject of this paper. Continuing work by NGSI will focus on developing the functional, operational and technical requirements for a global tracking and monitoring system over the next few years. These requirements, once established will be used to further address potential technology gap areas and future R&D needs.