AREVA storage canisters sent to Limerick plant

AREVA announced Wednesday that it has delivered eight nuclear fuel storage canisters to the Exelon power plant in Limerick, Pennsylvania.

The manufacturing and delivery was handled by a subsidiary of AREVA -- Columbiana Hi Tech (CHT) -- and was their its order of this magnitude since joining AREVA in 2013.

“AREVA’s NUHOMS system offers significant advantages in storage capacity, safety and versatility,” CHT President and Chief Operations Officer Joseph Faldowski said. “We are working to provide our customers with cost-effective, high-quality used nuclear fuel storage solutions.”

The NUHOMS 61BTH Dry Shielded Canisters are able to manage 61 assemblies of boiling water reactor fuel. It is licensed to manage damaged fuel that is deemed safe to be handled by normal means. The canister is also compatible with the Standard OS197 cask, thus eliminating the need for a transferring cask.

The product fact sheet states that up to 16 damaged fuel assemblies may be managed per canister and the canister is licensed to manage up to four failed assemblies. The canisters are largely made with stainless steel and aluminium. The steel shield plugs are coated with carbon.

AREVA specializes in numerous areas of nuclear energy production, storage and transport.