Individual spent fuel storage installation at Ascó nuclear power plant
Spain
The construction of an Individual Spent Fuel Storage Installation (ISFSI) was chosen as the best alternative for the storage of the spent fuel generated during the operation of the two units of Ascó Nuclear Power Plant (NPP). This installation was built to storespent fuel generated at the NPP, which will later be sent to the Centralized Spent Fuel Storage Facility of Villar the Cañas. It enables the extension of Ascó NPP’s operation due to limited capacity in the existing fuel storage pools.
The ISFSI consists of an outdoors facility accounting for two seismic concrete slabs for up to 16 dry storage casks each, a transfer pit, an auxiliary building for the transportation crane, and safety and radiological protection fences.
IDOM was responsible for the management of the installation works on site and this has contributed to the development of the design for the ISFSI at SMª Garoña NPP. All the required documentation was prepared by IDOM associated with the Design Change Package and the as-built project. Civil works categorized as Seismic Category I included storage slabs, the transfer pit, and shielding concrete for the storage casks. These works required strict compliance with current standards for material quality and execution control. Construction took place in a specific geotechnical environment and under severe weather conditions.
During the initial phase of earthworks, the base of the excavation reached an elevation of 105 m above sea level which was the level where the tertiary substrate was located according to the original project.
Before starting the Individual Spent Fuel Storage Installation at Ascó NPP, IDOM conducted a geotechnical study following American Nuclear Standards. They also followed recommendations from the Spanish Nuclear Safety Council (Consejo de Seguridad Nuclear, CSN). The study verified the geology at the excavation base and the cartographic features of the site.
CLIENT:
Asociación Nuclear Ascó-Vandellós (ANAV)
SCOPE:
Detailed Engineering
Site Evaluation
Works supervision