DICA

Intermediate Storage for Burnt Fuel (DICA) – Nuclearelectrica

The DICA project represents a strategic objective of Nuclearelectrica, intended for the long-term management of spent nuclear fuel resulting from the operation of Units 1 and 2 of CNE Cernavodă. The repository is located approximately 700 meters from Units 1 and 2, and provides a safe and efficient solution for the storage of spent fuel, thus contributing to meeting international nuclear safety standards.

Used fuel management policy

Nuclearelectrica’s spent fuel management policy assumes:

• Wet storage in the reactor basin for a period of at least 6 years.
• Dry storage for 50 years, within the Intermediate Dry Storage for Burnt Fuel (DICA) , carried out in stages.

Storage capacity and technology

DICA is being developed in stages, with 27 MACSTOR modules with a capacity of 12,000 spent nuclear fuel beams per module. Currently, 10 MACSTOR 200 modules are completed , each with the capacity to store 12,000 beams. Starting with module 10, the project foresees the implementation of MACSTOR 400 technology , which will allow increasing the long-term storage capacity for spent fuel.

Future plans and expansion

The DICA project has been designed to cover the entire lifetime of Units 1 and 2, and in the case of the development of Units 3 and 4, it will be extended to cover additional spent fuel storage requirements. There are also plans for the authorization and deployment of MACSTOR 400 modules as part of the long-term strategy approved by Nuclearelectrica.

This project is essential for maintaining the operational safety of the Cernavodă nuclear power plant and contributes to protecting the environment by providing a safe long-term storage system