Incentives for the allowance of ''burnup credit'' in the design of spent nuclear fuel shipping casks

An analysis has been completed which indicates that the consideration of spent fuel histories ('burnup credit') in the criticality design of spent fuel shipping casks could result in significant public risk benefits and cost savings in the transport of spent nuclear fuel. Capacities of casks could be increased considerably in some cases. These capacity increases result in lower public and occupational exposures to ionizing radiation due to the reduced number of shipments necessary to transport a given amount of fuel. Additional safety benefits result from reduced non-radiological risks to both public and occupational sectors. In addition, economic benefits result from lower in-transit shipping costs, reduced transportation fleet capital costs, and fewer cask handling requirements at both shipping and receiving facilities.