Nuclear storage solutions are a range of technologies and methods used to safely contain and manage radioactive waste, particularly spent nuclear fuel, before its final disposal. The need for storage arises from the fact that spent fuel is extremely hot and highly radioactive immediately after it is removed from a reactor. It must be cooled and its radioactivity allowed to decay to make it safer to handle.
The most common short-term solution is wet storage, where spent fuel assemblies are placed in large, deep pools of water. The water acts as both a shield against radiation and a coolant to dissipate the decay heat. After several years in a wet pool, the fuel's temperature and radioactivity decrease significantly, allowing for the use of dry storage solutions. Dry storage involves placing the spent fuel in massive, sealed casks made of steel and concrete. These casks are designed to be extremely durable and passively cool the fuel without the need for an active water system. While these storage solutions are highly effective and have a proven safety record, they are considered interim measures. The long-term plan is to move the waste from these storage facilities to a permanent radioactive waste disposal site, such as a deep geological repository.
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