Framatome’s accident tolerant fuel (ATF) assembly has completed four years of operation at Constellation Energy’s Calvert Cliffs NPP in Maryland. The lead fuel assembly, the first of its kind to operate in a commercial reactor, was developed through the US Department of Energy’s (DOE’s) Accident Tolerant Fuel programme. The fuel assembly will complete its third cycle of operation in 2027.
The lead fuel assembly was first loaded into the Calvert Cliffs unit 2 reactor in 2021 after which it was examined and reinserted for an additional two years of operation in 2023. Framatome and Constellation will reinsert the fuel during the spring 2025 refuelling outage and will monitor its performance over the next two years. The assembly will then be shipped to a DOE national laboratory for post-irradiation examination to help inform licensing activities.
The assembly contains 176 chromium-coated fuel rods and chromia-enhanced fuel pellets that can better respond to changes in the reactor core and are expected to reduce corrosion and hydrogen production under high-temperature conditions. The fuel prototype builds on previous testing in the US and Switzerland through Framatome’s PROtect programme and could deliver the industry’s first major upgrade to nuclear fuel and cladding technologies since the 1970s.
“The performance of our technology continues to demonstrate the expertise of our people to develop safe, cost-effective solutions for our customers and our industry,” said Lionel Gaiffe, Senior Executive Vice President of the Fuel Business Unit at Framatome. “The Constellation team has been instrumental in helping us reach this milestone, leading the industry integrating accident tolerant fuel characteristics into their operations.”
Frank Goldner, Federal Program Manager for DOE’s Accident Tolerant Fuel Program, said: This public-private partnership is helping to drive the fulfilment of national power demands and executive orders issued by President Trump. This fuel assembly will continue operating under commercial conditions, providing crucial data to support the nation’s energy objectives.”
Framatome, GE Vernova, and Westinghouse are all testing ATF concepts in commercial reactors across the US with the goal of widespread adoption by 2030. The new fuel and cladding mixtures could help improve the overall economics and performance of today’s reactors.
