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Transportation

Crash Course: The DOE’s Package Performance Demonstration

March 7, 2025, 3:01PMRadwaste Solutions
The DOE designed the Atlas railcar to eventually ship spent nuclear fuel to consolidated storage. Before it begins shipping fuel, the department wants to demonstrate the safety of transportation casks through its Package Performance Demonstration project. (Photo: DOE)

Inspired by a history of similar testing endeavors and recommended by the National Academy of Sciences and the Blue Ribbon Commission on America’s Nuclear Future, the Department of Energy is planning to conduct physical demonstrations on rail-sized spent nuclear fuel transportation casks. As part of the project, called the Spent Nuclear Fuel Package Performance Demonstration (PPD), the DOE is considering a number of demonstrations based on regulatory tests and realistic transportation scenarios, including collisions, drops, exposure to fire, and immersion in water.

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