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Conference Spotlight
2026 Nuclear Energy Conference & Expo (NECX)
August 24–27, 2026
Dallas, TX|Hilton Anatole
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Aug 2026
Jan 2026
2026
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Nuclear Science and Engineering
October 2026
Nuclear Technology
September 2026
Fusion Science and Technology
August 2026
Latest News
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.
International High-Level Radioactive Waste Management 2022 Speaker
Dr. Erika Holt is an expert in radioactive waste management and holds a PhD (2001) in Civil Engineering. Erika is currently the co-coordinator of the project “PREDIS: Pre-disposal management of radioactive waste” at VTT, with a focus on the stakeholder engagement issues. She has managed a portfolio of VTT’s jointly-funded (public) projects related to the Finnish and international nuclear sector (~250 VTT persons). She has been on the Finnish national governmental committee for the Nuclear Energy strategy (Vision2020, 2014) and served as an evaluator of European Commission research and development proposals.
Erika holds a Doctoral Degree from the University of Washington (Seattle, USA, 2001) in Civil and Environmental Engineering, with an emphasis on concrete material durability. Her VTT research areas are addressing utilization of sustainable materials and service life approaches to material performance. She has conducted R&D and technical support on radioactive waste repository issues for 18 years, for both Finland and international clients. Most recently, her expertise projects have focused on initial state performance of engineered barrier materials, construction, designs and safety for high level nuclear waste repositories, including being a project manager for Posiva Oy. She has earlier worked at Golder Associates. She has over 100 scientific articles and numerous public speaking engagements.
Contact information:
erika.holt@vtt.fi, +358 40 593 1986
https://www.vttresearch.com/nuclear
Last modified October 28, 2022, 6:26am MST
