With these capabilities and custom design, Orano offers all services needed to manage used nuclear fuel safely and efficiently from start to finish.
Our horizontal NUHOMS® used fuel storage system has the best demonstrated shielding in the industry. The NUHOMS system offers significant life cycle cost savings in plant integration, low risk in the pool transfer process and infrastructure savings when compared to other available systems.
NUHOMS is engineered for 1.0g horizontal acceleration and 1.0g vertical acceleration, and is a proven system that has withstood significant earthquakes. Its low profile and array structure and horizontal position ensure stability, thus the NUHOMS system is the highest seismically qualified dry fuel storage system in the world. As a reference point, people have trouble standing at 0.02g acceleration.
NUHOMS canisters are made of high-performance stainless steel that is corrosion-resistant and up to 5/8" thick. For ocean-side marine environments, the duplex stainless steel option provides a robust barrier against chloride-induced stress corrosion cracking, pitting and crevice corrosion. The state-of-the-art engineering and precision fabrication ensure long-term integrity of the shielding properties… keeping communities and workers safe.
NUHOMS has successfully and safely operated through tornado events. Our impact design analysis criteria examples include withstanding the impacts of a 276-pound wooden utility pole traveling more than 200 MPH, a 1,500-pound steel pipe traveling more than 140 MPH and a 4,000-pound automobile traveling more than 195 MPH.
Horizontal, above-ground storage modules are the easiest to access and monitor long-term and are less costly to maintain. Our aging management technologies are setting the standard for the industry and are key to ensuring continuous safety of canisters for the long-term. NUHOMS canisters are easy to retrieve and are the least risky to move due to their more stable horizontal orientation. This drives lower doses during the fuel loading process as it takes less time to move the canister, and it enables future easy retrieval and transport of the fuel off site.
Orano leases its NUHOMS Transfer System and NUHOMS Ancillary Equipment including the NUHOMS Transfer Trailer, the NUHOMS Transfer Casks (OS 200 and OS199), the NUHOMS Vacuum Drying System (VDS) and the NUHOMS Automated Welding system (AWS). Leasing is one flexible option for customers to accommodate budget restraints, as needed.
Orano includes in its leasing offer the use of Orano technicians to ensure the safe and streamlined operation of the equipment during the loading campaign.
While most Orano customers do purchase their NUHOMS Transfer System, leasing the NUHOMS Transfer System or its components can offer a more economical route for some nuclear power plants, depending their loading programs.