Framatome, US Department of Energy Secure $150 Million Cooperative Agreement to Advance Accident Tolerant Fuel

Framatome and the U.S. Department of Energy secure a new 4-year cooperative agreement valued at more than $150 million to continue the development of its PROtect enhanced accident tolerant fuel (EATF) technology. These technologies increase the safety performance of commercial nuclear reactors while providing operators more flexibility during normal operating conditions.

Framatome Delivers Industry’s First Complete Accident Tolerant Fuel Assembly

Framatome recently delivered the industry’s first nuclear 100% accident tolerant fuel assembly (ATF) to Exelon Generation’s Calvert Cliffs Nuclear Power Plant in Lusby, Maryland. Developed with funding from the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) under Framatome’s PROtect program, this lead fuel assembly (LFA) containing 176 chromium-coated rods and chromia-enhanced pellets, was inserted as part of the plant’s recent spring refueling outage.

Big Boost for Framatome’s Accident-Tolerant Nuclear Fuel

In another significant boost to commercial deployment of accident-tolerant fuel (ATF) at existing nuclear reactors, the first 18-month fuel cycle test of Framatome’s GAIA Enhanced Accident Tolerant Fuel (EATF) at Southern Co.’s Vogtle 2 has “demonstrated expected results and excellent performance,” Framatome said on Feb. 2.