Center for Used Fuel Research: Building confidence in storage and transport

[Marlin]

Center for Used Fuel Research: Building confidence in storage and transport

https://www.ans.org/news/article-8225/center-for-used-fuel-research-building-confidence-in-storage-and-transport/

[Core Content]

The Department of Energy established the Center for Used Fuel Research at Idaho National Laboratory to coordinate long-term storage and transportation studies. The center will manage research on high-burnup fuel and canister performance, including the transfer of a heavily instrumented research cask from the North Anna power plant in 2027.

This initiative provides technical data to support regulatory license renewals and aging management programs for commercial nuclear utilities. By validating performance models for high-burnup fuel, the center aims to address industry uncertainties regarding long-term storage safety. These findings will assist regulators and operators in certifying container systems for extended life cycles across the domestic fleet.

Used nuclear fuel storage and transportation have reached a critical juncture.

Dozens of utilities need reliable data on how used nuclear fuel performs in dry storage casks and canisters to extend regulatory licenses at sites across the United States. Likewise, the Department of Energy expects to take ownership of the used nuclear fuel—termed "spent nuclear fuel" in the laws and regulations governing its stewardship—and transfer it to one or more federal staging facilities for management and disposition.

Read the full article at ans.org:
https://www.ans.org/news/article-8225/center-for-used-fuel-research-building-confidence-in-storage-and-transport/