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Conference Spotlight
2026 Nuclear Energy Conference & Expo (NECX)
August 24–27, 2026
Dallas, TX|Hilton Anatole
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Nuclear Science and Engineering
October 2026
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August 2026
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Center for Used Fuel Research: Building confidence in storage and transport
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.
Meanwhile, dozens of reactor companies are testing prototypes of advanced reactors and advanced reactor fuels. Eventually, regulators and industry must also verify the safety and security of storage methods for these advanced fuel types.
To help address these challenges, the DOE established the Center for Used Fuel Research (CUFR) in January 2026 for work related to the long-term storage and transport of used nuclear fuel.
Keynotes Session
Tuesday, August 22, 2023|8:00–8:50AM EDT|Columbia 11/12
Session Chair:
Stephen Bajorek (USNRC)
Yasir Arafat is an accomplished nuclear engineer and a pioneer in microreactor technology who has made significant contributions to the development of advanced reactors. Mr. Arafat has 13 years of experience leading and executing nuclear research and development, primarily in advanced reactors, including designing and developing the Westinghouse AP1000®, Westinghouse SMR, fusion power plant, creating and leading eVinci & DeVinci microreactors at Westinghouse and DOE's MARVEL test microreactor at INL. As the Chief Designer and Project Lead of the MARVEL project, he has played a key role in the creation of the first advanced reactor to be built in the United States in 50 years.
Under his leadership, the MARVEL test microreactor became the first reactor to achieve NEPA compliance through an Environmental Assessment and successfully undergo procurement and construction phases. Yasir is also one of the national Technical Area Leads for the Department of Energy Microreactor Program and serves as the subject matter expert for microreactors at the Nuclear Science and Technology Directorate at Idaho National Laboratory. He is a technical advisor to the Fission Battery Initiative.
Yasir specializes in leading complex engineering projects, reactor design & licensing, model-based systems engineering, advanced manufacturing, thermodynamic process modeling/simulation, agile product development, and innovation strategy. He has developed a novel Agile hardware development process that enabled the rapid development of nuclear reactor systems. He is also skilled in the techno-economic evaluation and led a pioneering effort in collaboration with the automotive industry to generate a microreactor factory manufacturing cost curve based on manufacturing MARVEL's 3800+ parts.
He has been granted 11 patents and three provisional patents in reactor technology, with an additional four patent applications currently under review. Mr. Arafat's contributions to the field of nuclear energy have been critical to the development of advanced reactors and have cemented his reputation as a leading microreactor expert in the industry.
