Framatome signed a contract with Talen Energy’s Susquehanna Nuclear, LLC, to supply its advanced ATRIUM 11 fuel design. The company will deliver the first of six fuel reloads – consisting of approximately 300 fuel assemblies – in January 2021 to the site located in Berwick, Pennsylvania.
Framatome has supplied Susquehanna Nuclear with fuel for every reload since 1983 under a series of competitively awarded contracts. To date, Framatome has delivered more than 10,500 fuel assemblies to Susquehanna and supported Talen Energy in reducing generating costs through new, more efficient fuel designs, shifting operations to longer cycles and increasing plant output to 120 percent of the initial rated power.
“Our team at Framatome brings together the highest level of expertise and experience to deliver exceptional performance for our customers,” said Lionel Gaiffe, senior executive vice president in charge of the Fuel Business Unit of Framatome. “Our new ATRIUM 11 product helps Boiling Water Reactor (BWR) facilities meet and adapt to technically demanding operating requirements so that they may continue to safely and reliably generate electricity.”
ATRIUM 11 is Framatome’s latest BWR fuel, featuring an 11x11 rod array, which offers increased safety and fuel cycle savings. The unique geometry of ATRIUM 11 inherently increases the amount of energy extracted from the fuel while reducing the power demand on individual fuel rods. As a result, customers can buy less uranium to meet cycle energy targets and increase power maneuvering agility to adapt to an evolving regional generation mix. A number of innovative protective features also help ensure failure-free operation over the life of the fuel.
Framatome’s fuel fabrication facility in Richland, Washington, which has been in operation for nearly 50 years, will manufacture the fuel assemblies that Susquehanna will use. The company also manufactures ATRIUM 11 in Lingen, Germany.
Susquehanna Nuclear is the second customer to choose ATRIUM 11 fuel in the U.S., and the design is currently operating in five reactors around the world. Two reactors in Europe received reload batches of ATRIUM 11 in early 2018.
With a combined output of 2,600 MW-electric, the dual-unit Susquehanna site sits on 2,100 acres and is one of the largest nuclear generation facilities in the United States. Its two BWRs, which came into commercial operation in 1984 and 1985, respectively, produce enough power to meet the needs of approximately two million homes. The plant provides jobs for nearly 1,000 full-time employees.
ATRIUM is a trademark of Framatome.