ITREC: delivery of the two casks for the dry storage of Elk River fuel
22 December 2023
The two special metal containers known as casks in which the 64 Elk River irradiated fuel elements currently stored in the plant's pond will be stored have arrived at the ITREC plant in Rotondella, where Sogin is carrying out decommissioning activities.
Designed by the French company Orano with dual purpose technology, which qualifies them for both transportation and long-term storage, the two casks were manufactured under Sogin’s supervision at the Italian factories of Mangiarotti S.p.A., now a Westinghouse (USA) subsidiary, in compliance with the most stringent safety and quality standards.
The ‘dry storage’ project requires activities for the transfer of the fuel inside the two casks (32 elements each) to begin by 2024. Operations will take place under water, a natural element that shields radiation and allows technicians to proceed safely.
Once completed, the two hermetically sealed casks will be stored in the plant's nearly completed temporary DMC3/DTC3 repository prior to their transfer to the National Repository as soon as it is available.
This supply allows Sogin to achieve a significant milestone in advancing the dismantling programme at the Lucania plant.
During the design and construction of the two casks, at a total cost of around €10 million, the Company carried out a series of preliminary activities that included the construction of handling equipment and a structure known as a mock-up in which technicians will conduct training sessions that simulate fuel handling under water.