In the world of nuclear energy, the Idaho National Laboratory this week accomplished a first-of-its-kind test.
The experiment proved successful and could ultimately decrease the amount of waste generated from nuclear power plants across the country.
This could prove to be a pivotal achievement in the advancement of nuclear technologies, not only in Utah but in the United States and globally.
Nuclear waste as an issue
There was a time when the leading pursuit for storage of nuclear waste was at Yucca Mountain, Nevada.
Although pursued as a viable option, there was stiff opposition from a variety of players, particularly Nevada.
“More than 70,000 metric tons of high level nuclear waste and spent nuclear fuel is stored in more than 77 reactor sites across the country. That number increases by more than 2,000 tons each year. Yucca’s statutory design capacity is only 77,000 metric tons. By the time Yucca would be filled to capacity in 2036, there will still be at least the same amount of spent fuel still stored at the reactor sites, even if no new plants are built,” Nevada Attorney General Aaron D. Ford said at the time of the proposal.
When that plan was shelved, it forced the above-ground storage of casks of waste at Department of Energy sites at multiple sites across the country.
While that has led to concerns, the DOE insists it is safe and the amount of waste is rigorously under the most intense scrutiny of safety protocols.
The storage issue, however, still presents concerns on what happens to it long term.
Implications in Utah and elsewhere
Utah, for example, is prohibited by law as it stands to take the “hottest” waste for disposal at EnergySolutions Clive facility in Tooele County.
Critics are worrying Utah and the rest of the country are heading down a trail in which a wrong turn could be folly.
“We believe Utah has an opportunity to choose a better path: one that prioritizes clean, sustainable energy solutions like solar and geothermal, and offers real economic resilience to protect the health of future generations,” said Jake Erickson with HEAL Utah.
INL said lab researchers performed transient testing on a high burnup fuel sample that was previously irradiated in a commercial reactor.
The experimental fuel rod was one of 25 shipped to the lab last year as part of an agreement between the state of Idaho and the U.S. government to help develop and license new fuel technologies.
Researchers performed the experiment at the lab’s TREAT facility, which exposed the fuel to short bursts of energy known as “transient pulses” to safely push the fuel beyond its limits in a controlled setting.
The transient test was the first of its kind in the United States and will provide new data that could lead to more efficient use of the nation’s nuclear fuel.
Just what is INL doing?
Burnup measures the amount of energy that is extracted from nuclear fuel.
Higher burnup leads to better fuel utilization that allows companies to get more energy out of their fuel before it needs to be replaced.
High burnup fuels could lead to extended operation cycles and less waste generated over the life of the reactor.
The transient tests could also enable higher power outputs to deliver more affordable, reliable, and secure energy to U.S. consumers.
The Idaho laboratory will conduct seven additional safety tests on the spent fuel shipment, with more in the early planning stages.
The tests will include some experimental rods supported through the U.S. Department of Energy’s Accident Tolerant Fuel program, which supports several major fuel suppliers in developing new fuel and cladding mixtures.
What is happening at the Idaho National Laboratory is just another example of President Donald Trump’s expedited agenda — and many top energy officials in the country — to get a handle on nuclear energy, its potential and the ultimate issue of being safe, handling the waste and minimizing exposure to communities.
The effort falls in line with Utah Gov. Spencer Cox’s “Operation Gigawatt” which seeks to double energy production in the state within a decade. But while there is ambition it comes with the reality of caution and hence the need for continued scientific research and demonstration projects.
“This series of tests is a major step for our program,” said Frank Goldner, the federal manager for the Accident Tolerant Fuel program. “The end goal is to facilitate the commercial deployment of advanced fuels into our nation’s light-water reactors to further enhance their safety and overall performance.”
Data collected from the experiments will support fuel qualification and licensing of the fuels, which could be commercialized before the end of the decade.