NAC system deployed in Canadian decommissioning milestone

Canadian Nuclear Laboratories (CNL) announced in June that the transfer of used fuel from the Gentilly-1 Waste Management Facility site in Québec to the Chalk River Laboratories site in Ontario had been completed ahead of schedule.

NAC announced on 5 August that its OPTIMUS-H transportation packaging system, certified for use in Canada in 2021, had been central to the operation to securely transport more than 3,000 used fuel bundles from Gentilly-1 over 500 kilometres to Chalk River. This was a pivotal step in the decommissioning of the 250 MWe steam-generating heavy water reactor, which operated intermittently from 1972 to 1978.

NAC's OPTIMUS - for OPTImal Modular Universal Shipping - cask technology is described by the company as an adaptable Type B packaging that can be reconfigured to accommodate a variety of waste challenges. The OPTIMUS-H product line is designed for high-activity contents such as remote-handled transuranic waste and used fuel, while the OPTIMUS-L line is designed for low-activity contents.

NAC said the OPTIMUS-H system was selected for the job because of its robust safety certifications - it is licensed by the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission and compliant with international standards for impact, fire, and immersion resistance - as well as its suitability for the CANDU fuel baskets used to store the used fuel, and its modular, scalable road transport design which enable efficient loading and unloading and reduces operational complexity and turnaround time.

"The successful execution of this project is a testament to the strength of our technology and the dedication of our team," said NAC International President and CEO Kent Cole. "OPTIMUS-H is a versatile solution that is adaptable for spent fuel management missions like this - where safety, reliability, and regulatory compliance are non-negotiable."

A decommissioning programme began in 1984 to bring Gentilly-1 to a safe shutdown state, and by 1986 the fuel had been transferred to an on-site dry storage facility. The fuel is now in interim storage at Chalk River, pending the development of a deep geological repository.