The foray into spent fuel recycling by the Department of Energy’s Office of Environmental Management (EM) will take advantage of used nuclear fuel (UNF) from a test reactor at the Idaho National Laboratory.
That is according to material issued with the request for applications (RFA) announced April 22. DOE’s Environmental Management and Nuclear Energy (NE) offices simultaneously announced solicitations. The EM solicitation is for used fuel from defense waste.
“The DOE EM RFA is supported by Naval Reactors,” according to the background material. “During the initial phase of the project, EM intends to make some UNF from DOE’s Advanced Test Reactor (ATR) available for the demonstration. Currently there are 3,400 UNF elements from ATR in storage at the site representing approximately 3 tHM [tons of heavy metal] of enriched uranium.”
“Due to the proposed size of the demonstration and the long period of time over which it will be conducted, DOE proposes making land located on the north side of the Idaho Nuclear Technology and Engineering Center (INTEC) available for the new build of a dedicated facility,” according to the solicitation material.
ATR fuel casks have been received, dried and placed into dry storage at INTEC’s Irradiated Fuel Storage Facility in compliance with the 1995 Idaho settlement agreement with the federal government.
Due to the nature of defense-related spent nuclear fuel, DOE will focus primarily on U.S. applicants.
“All eligible applicants will be reviewed for risks of undue foreign influence prior to decision making by the department,” DOE said in the solicitation material. “As part of the review, DOE may require that the applicant(s) provide additional disclosures and information to inform the reviews. DOE will not review applications made by foreign persons or organizations.”
DOE currently plans to have an Industry Day about the solicitation May 27. Potential attendees should e-mail Aaron S. Nebeker; nebekeas@id.doe.gov. Proposals are due June 19.
The solicitation stems from President Donald Trump’s Executive Order (EO) 14302.