Sandia researchers boost nuclear fuel transport test
If an interim storage facility for the nation’s spent nuclear fuel like the one proposed in southeastern New Mexico or a permanent repository elsewhere comes to fruition, the fuel may need to be transported thousands of miles before reaching its destination.
Researchers from Albuquerque’s Sandia National Laboratories spent eight months last year testing how safe transporting the highly radioactive fuel would be.
“We hope this will provide more assurances that the transportation of spent nuclear fuel is very safe,” said Sylvia Saltzstein, manager of Sandia’s transportation projects.
Testing was partially funded by the U.S. Department of Energy and also included researchers from Spain, South Korea and the Argonne and Pacific Northwest national laboratories. It involved shipping a cask laden with mock spent nuclear fuel assemblies by truck, ship and train nearly 15,000 miles.
Read more: https://www.abqjournal.com/1152309/sandia-plays-key-role-in-15000-mile-transport-of-mock-nuclear-fuel.html
Cross-posted in the New Mexico Group.
