Orano TN has been selected to design, build and implement dry fuel storage at the Wolf Creek nuclear plant in Kansas, USA.
Orano will install the site's first Interim Spent Fuel Storage Installation (ISFSI), and carry out "pool-to-pad services" to transfer the used nuclear fuel from the reactor’s storage pool to the dry storage. The first transfer is expected to be completed by 2021, Orano said.
Wolf Creek has selected a modular solution comprising NUHOMS MATRIX horizontal storage modules, with NUHOMS Extended Optimized Storage (EOS) canisters, each capable of storing up to 37 used fuel assemblies.
Orano said the two-tiered cavity module design of the NUHOMS MATRIX reduces the amount of storage pad needed "by up to 45%" compared with nuclear fuel canisters. The systems are currently in use at 33 sites across the USA.
Wolf Creek, a 1200MW pressurised water reactor, first started operating in 1985. The reactor is expected to begin decommissioning in 2045.
