In an advertorial in the September issue of Nuclear Engineering International, NAC International took time to explain the utility of its OPTIMUS packaging system, including its potential uses for important new high assay low-enriched uranium (HALEU) fuels, used in most advanced reactors.
Hitachi Zosen Corporation, parent company of NAC International Inc., and Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings (TEPCO) established a joint venture (JV) for production of used fuel storage and transportation cask systems.
NAC International was proud to provide sponsorship support for the 42nd Annual International Meeting on Reduced Enrichment for Research and Test Reactors (RERTR), held this week in Vienna, Austria on Oct. 3-5, 2022. This program develops technology necessary to enable the conversion of civilian facilities using high enriched uranium (HEU) to low enriched uranium (LEU) fuels and targets and has been responsible for the safe removal and repatriation of over 7,000 kg of weapons-grade HEU material since its inception in 1978. The RERTR meeting is organized by the Argonne National Laboratory (ANL) and U.S. Department of Energy’s National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) in cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency.
In September 2022, NAC added to its lengthy history of successful radioactive materials transportation with its initial domestic commercial shipment using OPTIMUS®-L packaging. Recently added to NAC’s available fleet of transport casks, the OPTIMUS-L was used to execute a legal weight waste shipment originating in Massachusetts with receipt in Texas. OPTIMUS packagings are capable of transporting a wide array of radioactive materials, equipment, wastes, fresh fuels, and spent fuels of various activities.
Peachtree Corners, GA - July 21, 2022 - NAC International announced today it has received a patent on the manufacturing method for its OPTIMUS transportation cask from the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. NAC’s OPTIMUS, which is short for OPTImal Modular Universal Shipping cask technology, is designed for optimal versatility and economics for transporting radioactive waste material.
Three days of comprehensive training on spent fuel storage were held April 26-28 in Atlanta at the NAC Spent Fuel Academy.
Led by the experts of NAC International, the first two days of the seminar provided instruction on the science and technology underlying the dry storage and transportation of spent nuclear fuel – from the manufacturing of the casks through licensing and operation as well as transportation. The third day covered QA program considerations and performance-based manufacturing oversight of dry cask storage systems.
The first NAC International training event to welcome attendees in person since the start of the covid pandemic, the Nuclear Fuel Cycle Seminar looked in detail at nuclear power and nuclear fuel both globally and in current U.S. market contexts.
From April 4-7 in Atlanta, NAC International consultants brought the attendees up to speed on the latest developments in policy, regulation, economics, and technology that are shaping nuclear professionals’ work and responsibilities in terms of nuclear fuel and spent fuel management.
NAC International released a special report March 28 that looks at the impacts of Russian sanctions on nuclear fuel markets. This report is available as part of NAC’s annual Nuclear Fuel Market Issues & Insights market report.
The reaction by the international community to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has been swift and includes a wide array of sanctions against Russia targeting banks, oil refineries, military exports, and oil and gas exports. There is a growing pressure to expand sanctions to include Russia’s nuclear fuel exports. Russia may also impose a ban on its nuclear fuel exports. As Russia is a major supplier of nuclear fuel, any governmental actions to restrict Russia’s nuclear fuel exports has the potential to significantly impact the nuclear fuel markets.
The safe storage of spent nuclear fuel is fundamental to every utility’s operational plans. But while the fuel sits stationary, regulation and technology are constantly improving and evolving around it. Leaders and professionals in this area will benefit from attending NAC International’s upcoming Spent Fuel Academy, April 26-28, a perfect way to maintain a high level of knowledge in your team members and to bring new staff up to the level demanded in the nuclear sector.
