AREVA to aid WCS on licensing of nuclear storage site

This diagram shows the proposed facility to hold nuclear fuel materials and waste.
This diagram shows the proposed facility to hold nuclear fuel materials and waste. | Courtesy of AREVA

AREVA, Inc., has reached an agreement to assist Waste Control Specialists, LLC, (WCS) in a licensing application for a facility to store waste from nuclear fuel production, AREVA said Monday.

WCS informed the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission of WCS' intention to apply for a license and to operate a facility that would store spent nuclear fuel in Andrews, Texas.

"AREVA is pleased to provide WCS with its licensing experience and global expertise for the safe storage, transport and management of used nuclear fuel," AREVA Back End division, North America, Senior Vice President David Jones said. "This initiative, which already has the consent of local stakeholders, will deliver an economically viable option for used fuel management while more permanent solutions are addressed."

AREVA is considered a leading company in the transport and safe storage of used nuclear materials. AREVA said  40 percent of utilities in the U.S. utilize their storage system, NUHOMES. The company also is considered a global leader in nuclear energy, specializing in nuclear fuel cycles, design and manufacture of reactors and other facilities and operating services. The company focuses its investments to develop partnership that facilitate growth of the renewable energy sector.