Orano Awarded Contract to Expand MATRIX Dry Storage for Used Nuclear Fuel at Wolf Creek Generating Station
BETHESDA, Md., May 8, 2024 – Orano has been awarded a contract from Evergy to expand the existing two-tiered NUHOMS® MATRIXTM horizontal dry storage system installed in 2021 by constructing an additional
eight used nuclear fuel storage modules at the Wolf Creek Nuclear Operating Corporation site near Burlington, Kansas.
The expanded Orano MATRIX system will provide a total of 19 storage modules and is scheduled to be completed later this year. Five of the lower modules and three of the upper modules have already been loaded with sealed used nuclear fuel
canisters.
“During the original MATRIX installation and loading campaigns, our close coordination with Wolf Creek built strong, effective combined teams that excelled in achieving safety and performance goals,” said Rebecca Stewart, President
of Orano TN Americas. “We set high standards for ourselves with that first completion and our teams are training and completing preparations to achieve them again.”
“One sign of great customer service and a quality product is a follow-up contract, and we are honored that Evergy chose to continue our support for Wolf Creek’s secure used nuclear fuel management,” said Jean-Luc Palayer,
CEO of Orano U.S. “Some of the key performance factors with our MATRIX system are its proven ability to limit dose, manage higher heatloads, and require significantly less pad space for the same amount of storage.”
When compared to other dry storage technologies, the compact two-tiered horizontal MATRIX design reduces the footprint requirements for an Independent Spent Fuel Storage Installation (ISFSI) by as much as 45% to store the same amount of used fuel.
For extended interim used fuel storage and aging management requirements, the MATRIX system integrates new design features and devices which enable the complete inspection of the stored canister without removing it from the module.
The universal MATRIX overpack also meets all storage requirements for operating and shutdown U.S. nuclear reactors, including the storage of high-burnup short-cooled fuel, and is designed to accommodate used fuel storage canisters with
different diameters and fuel lengths.
Wolf Creek in Burlington, KS, employs about 750 personnel, and 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, which is enough
energy to steadily power more than 800,000 homes.
Download this press release (PDF).
Images
Rebecca Stewart, president of Orano TN Americas, and Cleve Reasoner, Chief Nuclear Officer of Evergy, standing before the existing MATRIX installation at Wolf Creek. Image: Orano.
The additional modules are being added to the left side of the existing installation. Image: Orano.
The two-tiered MATRIX system uses a stable lift to position a sealed used fuel canister for placement into an upper storage module. Image: Orano.
Labeled illustration of the Orano NUHOMS MATRIX dry storage system. Image: Orano.
Cutaway illustration showing the upper storage compartment and cooling air pathways of the Orano NUHOMS MATRIX system. Image: Orano.
About Orano USA: Orano USA, a regional subsidiary of Orano, is a leading supplier of nuclear fuel materials,
used fuel management, decommissioning, decontamination, radwaste treatment solutions, and advanced reactor services 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 drugs currently in FDA-authorized clinical trials.