Reconsideration of thermal criteria for Korean spent fuel repository

In this study, the appropriateness of the current thermal criteria for a geological repository for Korean spent fuel is reviewed based on the reported technical information, and the possibility of the elevation of the maximum temperature limit is assessed. The results show that even if the maximum temperature limit at the interface between the canister surface and the surrounding buffer is elevated from 100 °C to 125 °C, there is no significant influence on the integrity of the canister and the buffer. This elevation of the maximum temperature limit can improve the disposal density by about double, and contribute greatly to finding a suitable site for a spent fuel repository.