Orano TN Selected to Design, Build and Implement Dry Fuel Storage at Wolf Creek Generating Station

Washington, D.C. – Orano TN, the Orano subsidiary providing used fuel management and transportation services, has been selected by Wolf Creek Nuclear Operating Company (WCNOC) to design, build and implement dry fuel storage at the Wolf Creek Generating Station in Kansas.

Along with developing the site’s first Interim Spent Fuel Storage Installation (ISFSI), Orano will conduct pool-to-pad services to transfer the used nuclear fuel from the reactor’s storage pool to the new onsite NUHOMS® dry storage systems. The installation and initial transfer is expected to be completed by 2021.

• NUHOMS MATRIX horizontal storage modules – a unique two-tiered cavity module design that reduces by up to 45% the amount of storage pad needed for the same amount of stored used nuclear fuel canisters
• NUHOMS Extended Optimized Storage (EOS) canisters – high-capacity dry shielded canisters for storing up to 37 used fuel assembles each

By selecting this technology, Wolf Creek optimizes the amount of used fuel sealed in each storage module and limits the number of needed transfers from the reactor pool to the ISFSI.

“Wolf Creek has chosen Orano TN to join our team as we implement dry fuel storage. We look forward to a strong partnership between Orano and Wolf Creek as we implement this critically important project,” said Dr. Jaime McCoy, site vice president at Wolf Creek Nuclear Operating Company.

“Our continuing investment in developing and deploying advanced storage technology was a key value during the highly competitive bid process,” said Greg Vesey, senior vice president of Orano TN. “As the selected vendor, our experienced teams are prepared to complete this construction and transfer in a safe, timely and efficient manner.”

Orano TN’s NUHOMS systems have securely stored used nuclear fuel in the United States for more than two decades, with installations at 33 sites around the country representing more than 45,000 stored used fuel assemblies.

Wolf Creek has been safely providing clean, reliable energy to the citizens of Kansas and Missouri since 1985. The plant generates about 1,200 megawatts of electricity (enough energy to power more than 800,000 homes) and employs nearly 1,000 full-time and supplemental personnel.