Vogtle 2 nuclear plant testing accident tolerant fuel

The nuclear power industry reached a milestone in developing accident tolerant fuel (ATF).

ATF will make plants even safer by allowing plant operators more time to respond to reactor conditions, explained the Nuclear Energy Institute

Testing is now being done on this at the Vogtle Power Plant in Georgia. Southern Nuclear, which runs the plant, is partnering with Framatome to test full-length fuel rods at Vogtle 2.

“The rods are fully fueled, and they have the ATF features both with the fuel pellet and with the cladding, so you get added layers of protection,” said Peter Newby, vice president of sales and marketing for Framatome’s Fuel Business Unit in North America. “This is how the rod is supposed to be and how we intend to deliver it in the future.”

The test at Vogtle 2 is an important step toward commercial deployment of this technology.

The fuel pellets are made of a flexible ceramic material that can withstand the conditions inside the reactor core for longer periods of time. The pellets are encased in metal rods with a chromium coating that enhances safety even more.

“Framatome answered the call and delivered the product we were looking for in the timeframe that we needed it,” said Jennifer Baker, Southern Nuclear’s pressurized water reactor fuel engineering manager and the project lead for the Vogtle 2 fuel load.

The ATF concept would increase safety, provide greater efficiency, reduce fuel costs and extend the fuel cycle at Vogtle from 18 to 24 months. When all four Vogtle units are fully operational, they will generate enough electricity to power more than one million homes and businesses in the state.

“Longer fuel cycles would ultimately be a win for the communities that our fleet is proud to serve by potentially lowering plant operating costs,” Baker said. Southern Nuclear and Framatome will monitor the tests over the next year and a half and collect data about how they are performing.