The high-burnup research cask (center) stands with other spent nuclear fuel dry storage casks at the North Anna ISFSI in Virginia. (Photo: Dominion Energy)
The Department of Energy said it anticipated delivering a research cask of high-burnup spent nuclear fuel from Dominion Energy’s North Anna nuclear power plant in Virginia to Idaho National Laboratory by fall 2027. The planned shipment is part of the High Burnup Dry Storage Research Project being conducted by the DOE with the Electric Power Research Institute.
As preparations continue, the DOE said it is working closely with federal agencies as well as tribal and state governments along potential transportation routes to ensure safety, transparency, and readiness every step of the way.
Watch the DOE’s latest video outlining the project here.
The project: In November 2017, a modified Orano TN-32B spent fuel cask was loaded with 32 high-burnup assemblies from North Anna’s spent fuel pool for research purposes. The cask lid was modified with instrumentation to allow researchers to monitor internal temperatures over time at 63 different locations inside the cask. The sealed cask was placed on North Anna’s independent spent fuel storage installation (ISFSI) and has remained in storage there since.
The High Burnup Dry Storage Research Project is intended to collect data on high-burnup SNF under actual dry storage conditions to better understand the behavior of such fuel. The DOE’s goal is to open the cask after 10 years of storage to examine and test the fuel and identify any changes in the properties of the fuel and its cladding during the dry storage period.
According to the DOE, the data gathered from this project will be shared with the Nuclear Regulatory Commission and nuclear plant operators to help inform regulatory decisions about extending dry storage licenses beyond the typical 40-year period.
As part of the project, a number of “sibling rods” taken from North Anna’s fuel assemblies were shipped to Oak Ridge National Laboratory for testing in 2016.
Next steps: Plans to transport the cask and open it at INL’s research facilities were made possible through a targeted waiver of the 1995 Idaho Settlement Agreement.
After taking license of the fuel, the DOE will ship the cask to INL by rail aboard the department’s specially designed Atlas railcar. Designed to safely and securely transport shipments of SNF weighing up to 480,000 pounds, the Atlas railcar received Association of American Railroads certification in 2024.
At INL, a detailed examination of the SNF rods will be conducted using specialized laboratory equipment. According to the DOE, data collected from the research cask so far shows that temperatures have remained well within safe limits and the physical inspection of the fuel assemblies and the cask will be crucial in better understanding how high-burnup SNF behaves over time in a storage system.
The DOE added that the High Burnup Dry Storage Research Project will contribute to the establishment of a new international center for applied research, where scientists from around the world will collaborate on the safe storage and transportation of SNF.
