The Savannah River Site’s (SRS’s) H Canyon facility recently initiated actions to recycle a
small amount of used highly enriched uranium (HEU) that is stored in the Site’s H Area and down-blend it into high-assay low
enriched uranium (HALEU), helping to provide much needed fuel for U.S. advanced nuclear reactors.
HALEU is more desirable for use in nuclear power reactor designs because it allows for smaller
designs, longer life cores, increased fuel efficiency and less waste.
“The projected demand for HALEU far exceeds the current supply,” said HALEU Program Manager
Jeff Hasty for Savannah River Nuclear Solutions, the site’s managing and operating contractor.
“Because of H Canyon’s most recent mission of blending HEU into LEU for commercial fuel reactors, H Canyon has stored HEU solutions available for use.”
The Savannah River National Laboratory (SRNL) completed a series of analyses to show downblending of HEU from H Canyon liquid solutions could meet specifications needed for the advanced reactors. Those analyses helped SRS in initiating the planned HALEU project in H
Canyon. “SRNL plays a major role in the research of the Nuclear
Fuel Cycle research and development and is always excited to
see our efforts applied in real world applications,” said SRNL
Environmental and Legacy Management Deputy Associate
Laboratory Director Bill Bates.
The facility has begun preparations for the pending mission,
which will include equipment repair, training, procedure revisions
and environmental impact analysis. Support is also being provided by the SRNL to complete a detailed set of sample analyses
to ensure the HALEU meets reactor material specifications and
to certify the shipping containers for material transport. Downblending is expected to begin in 2025.
“This approval is a win-win,” said Hasty. “H Canyon has a useful
path for the stored HEU, and at the same time, HALEU availability is increased for the emerging advanced reactors.”
