US-based Global Nuclear Fuel (GNF) on 22 May announced that it had been awarded a long-term $250m contract by Entergy Nuclear to continue to fuel its boiling water reactors. The contract runs from 2019 to 2031 and includes ten reloads of GNF3 fuel.
Entergy will be the first customer to take delivery of GNF3 in reload quantities. GNF said the advanced GNF3 fuel assembly is designed to offer customers improved fuel cycle economics, increased performance and flexibility in operation and further improve on the reliability of GNF’s previous product lines.
GNF3 lead use assemblies have been operating in several US nuclear plants, including four lead use assemblies in Entergy’s River Bend station in Louisiana, since 2015. In 2019, Entergy’s River Bend plant will become the first in which GNF3 will be installed in reload quantities. In 2020, GNF3 will be installed in reload quantities at Grand Gulf in Mississippi. GNF has fuelled Entergy’s Grand Gulf and River Bend reactors continuously since 2008.
GNF3 is fabricated at the company’s facility in Wilmington, North Carolina.
