Entergy begins moving spent IP fuel rods from pool to dry cask storage

January 1, 2008

http://www.midhudsonnews.com/News/IP_fuelrod_remv-01Jan08.html

Buchanan – The first group of spent nuclear fuel rods have been loaded into canisters in the Indian Point Unit 2 spent fuel pool in preparation to move the fuel into dry cask storage.

When the task is completed, the sealed casks will remain for some time, said Entergy spokeswoman Robyn Bentley.

The casks will remain there until a national repository is made available, she said.

The removal of fuel from the pool began on December 31 at 10:30 a.m. when radiation protection technicians and members of the dry cask storage project team removed used fuel from the Unit 2 fuel pool using a 110-ton gantry crane.

During the next 36 to 48 hours, the fuel will be dried and the canister will be welded shut.

Once secured and sealed, the fuel will be placed inside a Hi-Storm cask that stands 20-feet high, 11 feet wide, with two foot thick concrete walls. When loaded with fuel, each cask weighs about 360,000 pounds.

After that stage has been completed, the cask from Unit 2 will be moved to the Independent Spent Fuel Storage Installation pad north of the plants inside the protected security area.