Framatome US Government Solutions LLC. announced today the design phase award for the Ex-vessel Fuel Handling Equipment Project for use in the operations of TerraPower’s Natrium™ reactor.
The customized equipment consists of two separate rail-mounted machines used to perform refueling and related core component transfer activities. Automated and remote functionality enhances the safety and performance of the refueling operations during scheduled outages and maintenance.
“This equipment project is an important milestone for advancing our cutting-edge Natrium reactor design, critical in powering our nation’s clean energy future,” Tara Neider, senior vice president and project director for the Natrium Reactor Demonstration Project. “The breadth of Framatome’s expertise and depth of its operating experience provides certainty and strengthens our diverse supply chain needed to bring this unique technology to market.”
“We are developing and delivering technological modules for advanced and small modular reactors, collaborating closely with TerraPower and other industry leaders that are advancing nuclear energy capabilities,” said Craig Ranson, executive vice president of the Installed Base Business Unit at Framatome in North America. “TerraPower is a pioneer in the advanced reactor market, and we are pleased to provide them with equipment that is unique to the Natrium reactor.”
The fuel handling equipment will be designed jointly by Framatome and American Crane, leveraging a long history of providing world-class upgrades and new fuel handling equipment for plants in the U.S. operating fleet. The design phase of the project will be executed at Framatome’s Operational Center of Excellence in Lynchburg, VA, United States, and will be finalized for fabrication by July 2025.
After successful completion of the design phase, the equipment will be fabricated and installed at the TerraPower Demonstration Plant in Kemmerer, Wyoming, United States.
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