INL meets agreement to store used naval nuclear fuel ahead of schedule

IDAHO FALLS, Idaho (KIFI) - The U.S. Naval Nuclear Propulsion Program (NNPP) announced a major milestone in it's agreement with the Idaho National Laboratory Monday.

One of the key provisions of the Agreement is that the Naval Reactors Facility (NRF), operated for the NNPP by the Naval Nuclear Laboratory, would place all used naval fuel (also known as spent fuel) that was in water pool storage prior to January 1, 2017 in dry storage before January 1, 2023. The NNPP is proud to announce completion of this commitment more than 18 months ahead of schedule.

“The effort to meet this milestone was monumental," said Admiral J.F. Caldwell, Jr., Director of Naval Reactors. "It is another example of our continued efforts to protect the environment and our communities while continuing to meet our Program commitments."

The Naval Nuclear Propulsion Program (NNPP) stores used naval nuclear fuel in concrete overpacks at the Naval Reactors Facility (NFR) on the Idaho National Laboratory.

NRF's primary functions are to receive, examine, and prepare used naval nuclear fuel for storage; and to prepare and examine irradiated test assemblies. NRF is part of the Naval Nuclear Laboratory, which is operated by the Fluor Marine Propulsion, LLC (subsidiary of Fluor Corporation) for the United States Naval Nuclear Propulsion Program.

Meeting the dry storage provision of the Idaho Settlement Agreement represents 25 years of NNPP effort, informed by consultation and cooperation with State, Tribal, and local partners. To date, the NNPP has placed over 30 metric tons of used naval nuclear fuel in dry storage, representing material from over 250 naval reactor cores. The Department of Energy’s Idaho Operations Office contributed to this achievement by supporting the transfer of used naval fuel that was stored in a water pool at INL’s Idaho Nuclear Technology and Engineering Center (INTEC) to NRF for packaging. Approximately 40% of the naval spent fuel that is currently in dry storage was included in this effort.

The Naval Nuclear Propulsion Program stores used naval nuclear fuel in concrete overpacks at the Naval Reactors Facility on the Idaho National Laboratory.