Holtec, Eddy-Lea Energy Alliance partner to build nuclear storage facility

Holtec International and the Eddy-Lea Energy Alliance will collaborate to build an interim storage facility to hold the used nuclear fuel collected at nuclear power plants across the United States, which should be operational within the next four to five years. 

Kris Singh, president and CEO of Holtec,  said the company expects to apply for a permit for the facility from the Nuclear Regulatory Commission within a year.

The agreement, announced last week, includes the design, licensing, construction and operation of a facility modeled on Holtec's HI-STORM UMAX dry storage system

The storage facility announcement comes as the U.S. nuclear industry is faced with spent fuel accumulating at nuclear reactors that have prematurely shut down as well as at operating plants around the country while a political disagreement over the issue looms. 

The federal government is facing increased pressure to allow for deep geological repository options, but so far no action has been taken. 

Pierre Oneid, Holtec's senior vice president and chief nuclear officer, is expected to address the issue further, as well as share more information about the storage facility, during the Nuclear Decommissioning and Used Fuel Strategy Summit, which will be held Oct. 5-6 in Charlotte, North Carolina. Holtec is a Silver Sponsor of the summit.