The U.S. Department of Energy has announced the start of tests for a new type of highly enriched nuclear fuel at the second power unit of the Georgia-based Vogtle nuclear power plant. The tests are being conducted by Southern Nuclear, which recently loaded four experimental fuel assemblies with ADOPT pellets – special uranium fuel cylinders developed by Westinghouse Electric Company – into the reactor.
The new fuel contains uranium enriched to 6% in the uranium-235 isotope, which is significantly above the traditional values for commercial reactors (3–5%). The use of this fuel is expected to extend the duration of fuel cycles from 18 to 24 months, enhance power generation and reduce the volume of radioactive waste. In other words, the fuel will help the reactor operate longer and more efficiently, increasing power generation.
The first samples of the new type of fuel were obtained at Idaho National Laboratory. There, uranium was enriched to its highest levels, after which uranium powder was processed and pressed into pellets in order to obtain fuel pins, which were then sent to the reactor for testing. The fuel composition also includes special elements designed to increase its safety.
Over the next four and a half years, the new fuel assemblies will undergo testing under normal operating conditions, after which the results will be evaluated. If successful, the fuel will be implemented on a large scale at other commercial facilities in the country.
The Southern Nuclear project has become part of the federal program of the U.S. Department of Energy for the modernization of the national nuclear industry in the context of growing power demand.
