Orano Awarded Fleet Contract by Xcel Energy for NUHOMS Used Nuclear Fuel Storage Systems

Reliable NUHOMS systems ensure continued secure and transport-ready storage at Monticello and Prairie Island nuclear energy facilities.

BETHESDA, Md., January 30, 2024 – TN Americas, a subsidiary of Orano Nuclear Packaging and Services (NPS), was recently awarded a competitively bid contract by Xcel Energy to provide onsite dry fuel storage solutions to the Monticello and Prairie Island nuclear energy facilities.

Under this multi-year contract, Orano will manufacture and deliver the selected NUHOMS® dry storage systems for the secure interim storage of used nuclear fuel assemblies. The NUHOMS dry storage canisters will be manufactured at Orano’s TN Fabrication facility in North Carolina.

“We appreciate Xcel Energy’s confidence in us and the selection of our NUHOMS storage system following a comprehensive review of competing technologies and offers,” said Jean-Luc Palayer, CEO of Orano USA and President of Orano TN Americas. “The combination of our experienced team, proven technology, and reliable performance provides the certainty sought by our customers for successful and safe project delivery.”

Using Orano’s NUHOMS systems for both Monticello’s boiling water reactor and Prairie Island’s pressurized water reactor ensures high-quality dry storage performance and transport-ready technology for future offsite removal.

This contract award continues the long-term dry fuel storage management partnership between Orano and Xcel Energy in place for 18 years at Monticello and 33 years at Prairie Island.

Learn more about Orano’s NUHOMS horizontal dry storage systems for used nuclear fuel.

Diagram of Orano’s NUHOMS horizontal dry storage system.
NUHOMS-SITE

Joining together for signing the fleet contract were (l to r): Gary Brassart (Vice President Nuclear Strategy, Xcel Energy), Roger Maggi (Chief Commercial Officer, Orano TN Americas), Chris Church (SVP and Chief Nuclear Officer, Xcel Energy), Rebecca Stewart (CFO, Orano TN Americas), Chris Clark (President, Xcel Energy North), Pam Gorman Prochaska (GM Nuclear Fleet Operations, Xcel Energy), Jean-Luc Palayer (CEO, Orano USA), Tim Johnson (Director Supply Chain, Xcel Energy).

Download this press release.

About Orano USA: Orano USA, a regional subsidiary of Orano, is a leading supplier of advanced reactor services, nuclear fuel materials, used fuel management, decommissioning, decontamination, and radwaste treatment solutions to U.S. commercial and federal customers. Orano USA, through its subsidiary Orano Med in Texas, is also developing cancer treatments using targeted radio-immunotherapy, with its first drug currently in FDA-authorized clinical trials.

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