The Omaha Public Power District (OPPD) in Nebraska on May 13 completed moving all spent fuel at the retired Fort Calhoun Station nuclear power plant into dry storage.
Workers began moving the first of 30 canisters on Oct. 14, 2019. Overall, the 30 canisters hold 944 bundles of used fuel, according to a presentation given to the OPPD Board of Directors on May 14.
Nuclear logistics provider Orano TN installed 32 new modules for the plant’s used-fuel storage pad, alongside 10 modules already in place. The company also built the new canisters, which each weighed 46,000 pounds before being loaded with the radioactive waste. Personnel from OPPD placed the bundles into the canisters, while Orano TN workers transported them to the storage pad.
When OPPD retired the Fort Calhoun Station in October 2016, it planned to place the reactor into SAFSTOR, under which final decommissioning can be delayed for up to 60 years while radiation levels drop and funding levels grow. However, in 2019, OPPD approved a plan to speed up decommissioning, with completion planned for 2026.
Officials at the Omaha Public Power District said it had reconsidered based on the belief that expedited decommissioning would reduce financial liability, address climate hazards earlier, and increase flexibility in costs and scheduling.
As of December 2019, OPPD estimated a $1.13 billion price tag for decommissioning, site restoration, and used-fuel storage operations at Fort Calhoun. That compares to just shy of $2.5 billion for SAFSTOR. In 2018, OPPD reported $439 million in its decommissioning trust fund.
