Framatome has signed a contract with Talen Energy to supply its advanced ATRIUM 11 boiling water reactor fuel for six reloads of the two-unit Susquehanna nuclear plant in Pennsylvania.
The first delivery of around 300 fuel assemblies will take place in January 2021. The fuel will be manufactured at Framatome's fuel fabrication facility in Richland, Washington.
ATRIUM 11 is Framatome’s latest BWR fuel, which is currently in use in five reactors globally. It features an 11×11 rod array, which offers increased safety and fuel cycle savings. Framatome says the unique geometry of ATRIUM 11 inherently increases the amount of energy extracted from the fuel while reducing the power demand on individual fuel rods. As a result, customers can buy less uranium to meet cycle energy targets and increase power manoeuvring agility to adapt to an evolving regional generation mix.
Framatome has been supplying Susquehanna Nuclear with fuel since 1983 under a series of competitively awarded contracts, delivering more than 10,500 assemblies overall. Susquehanna is the second customer in the USA to select ATRIUM 11 fuel.
Photo: Talen Energy's Susquehanna nuclear plant has ordered Framatome's ATRIUM 11 fuel
