Higher enriched nuclear fuel being tested at Vogtle
Southern Nuclear recently loaded nuclear fuel with uranium-235 enriched up to 6 percent—higher than the usual 3–5 percent enrichment—into Vogtle-2 to test it through irradiation.
The four lead test assemblies (LTAs) with next-generation fuel are the first to be used in a U.S. nuclear plant. The unit operates with 193 fuel assemblies in total.
Southern Nuclear received a license amendment from the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission in 2023 to test the innovative fuel pellets and cladding at its Georgia plant. The fuel was developed within the U.S. Department of Energy’s Accident Tolerant Fuel program and was manufactured through Westinghouse’s Advanced Doped Pellet Technology (ADOPT) program.
The higher enriched fuel could help extend operation cycles from 18 to 24 months, allow for higher power output, and generate less waste over the life of the reactor. The pellets, which also include additives expected to enhance safety performance, were derived from higher enriched uranium oxide powder first prepared by Idaho National Laboratory.
A closer look: The Plant Vogtle LTA program uses key components of Westinghouse’s High Energy Fuel initiative and the EnCore Fuel program with the intent of lowering the cost of electricity while increasing the fuel’s resiliency. One main benefit of the ADOPT pellet design is greater uranium efficiency through just a 2 percent increase in fissile material.
The LTAs will undergo testing for the next four-and-a-half years at Vogtle-2. The fuel will be examined after each fuel cycle, with a more extensive review after the fuel completes testing, to support future commercialization and deployment in the United States.
Quotable: “This achievement is a significant step forward for not only the resiliency of the entire U.S. operating fleet, but future nuclear technologies,” Pete Sena, Southern Nuclear’s chair, president, and CEO, said in an April 10 press release. “Our goal is to operate our units for longer periods with higher output, and with higher enriched fuel, we’re even better positioned to meet the growing energy demands of the state of Georgia.”
Related news: Southern Nuclear has partnered with national labs and fuel providers to install and test other advanced fuel technology.
In October 2024, the company celebrated the success of Framatome’s enhanced accident tolerant fuel being tested through a third 18-month fuel cycle, also in Vogtle-2. Framatome’s fuel assemblies were loaded into the Vogtle-2 reactor in 2019 after the DOE’s Office of Nuclear Energy awarded $111.2 million to Framatome, Westinghouse, and General Electric for the project. The DOE’s program aimed to see advanced fuel concepts being brought to market by 2025.
