INL fuel fabrication plan analysis released for comment

A proposal to use Idaho National Laboratory facilities to support U.S. companies working to develop and deploy new reactor technologies is moving forward.

The U.S. Department of Energy has released a draft environmental assessment (DEA)for a proposal to fabricate fuel at INL’s Materials and Fuels Complex (MFC) and/or the Idaho Nuclear Technology and Engineering Center (INTEC).

The MFC is currently using an “electrorefiner” to down-blend spent fuel that contains highly-enriched uranium generated by Experimental Breeder Reactor-II decades ago. The resulting low-enriched uranium, called “HALEU” for high-assay low-enriched uranium, is currently stored at INL. That material contains a higher enrichment of Uranium-235 than fuel used in the current fleet of U.S. power reactors. HALEU contains 5-20 percent U-235, while conventional light water reactors use 3-5 percent.

There are currently no commercial facilities in the United States capable of making usable HALEU fuel, but the government says there are several reactor designers who might want it.

“There are several U.S. companies pursuing advanced reactor designs that would use fuel enriched with higher levels of uranium-235, and need a source so they can conduct the research and development needed to bring these new technologies to market,” DOE Deputy Assistant Secretary for Nuclear Technology Research and Development John Herczeg said. “Being able to provide a source of this fuel would support this research and development and aligns with the Office of Nuclear Energy’s mission to advance nuclear power as a resource capable of meeting the nation’s energy, environmental and national security needs.”

The Department of Energy proposes to fabricate approximately 10 metric tons of HALEU nuclear reactor fuel to support near-term research and development in both the government and private sector.

The preferred alternative of the draft environmental assessment calls for fabricating fuel from material produced through the INL treatment system and by using other small quantities of HALEU stored at INL. Most of the HALEU would come from the processing and treatment of used fuel from the now-decommissioned EBR-II reactor.

The report found that “the potential for nuclear criticality exists due to the quantity and form of material being processed. However, engineered and administrative controls would be incorporated into the facility and process operations to prevent and mitigate worker risk associated with this hazard.”

The DEA also asserts that radiologic releases during normal operations would not result in adverse health impacts. The report added that additional waste volumes would be small compared to current disposal volumes at INL.

Public comment will be accepted through November 30.

You can see the full National Environmental Policy Act environmental assessment here.