A spent fuel canister is moved at the Idaho National Laboratory site. (Photo: DOE)
Work crews at Idaho National Laboratory have transferred 40 spent nuclear fuel canisters into long-term storage vaults, the Department of Energy’s Office of Environmental Management has reported.
DOE contractor Idaho Environmental Coalition finished the transfer—moving spent nuclear fuel from older, first-generation vaults to new, second-generation vaults—several months ahead of schedule, according to the DOE.
History: The spent fuel, which is from the Peach Bottom nuclear power plant’s Unit 1, was shipped in canisters to INL from Pennsylvania following the reactor's closure in 1974.
DOE-EM initiated the transfers in 2021 after routine monitoring of the fuel revealed elevated hydrogen levels in the first-generation vaults, raising concerns about potential corrosion to the fuel canisters.
A better way: The second-generation vaults mitigate that risk through engineered improvements, including sumps that purge water and a support rod-and-plate system that reinforces the fuel baskets, the DOE noted. The result is a more stable and controlled long-term storage configuration that enhances safety.
Peach Bottom's spent fuel will remain in dry storage until it is packaged and shipped from Idaho for permanent disposal.
