PARIS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Regulatory News:
Orano has obtained transport approval from the American safety authority, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC). This approval is an essential step for continued commercial and industrial developments for the benefit of our customers in the United States.
The TN Eagle is Orano's latest generation packaging model, for the transport and dry storage of spent fuel for nuclear power plants around the world (Europe, United States, Asia). With an innovative design and modular structure, this packaging meets the different needs of power plant operators by improving safety and competitiveness.
The packaging was approved in 2020 by the French Nuclear Safety Authority (ASN) in less than a year, in accordance with the latest regulations from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), after having undergone a rigorous testing phase to demonstrate its robustness and resistance to extreme transport conditions. For the United States, the format for storing spent fuel in canisters meant adapting the TN Eagle’s design.
The production of the TN Eagle is based on manufacturing processes that are truly technological breakthroughs. The packaging is assembled in half the time of equivalent models on the market – thanks to fully automated manufacturing lines and without the use of welding. Several models of the TN Eagle have been manufactured, thus confirming the technical feasibility of the processes.
At the beginning of February 2023, Orano launched the construction of the new TN Eagle 4.0 manufacturing factory, the TN Eagle Factory, with the support of the France Relance investment fund. Located at the port of Cherbourg, this new production unit will make it possible to better manage the growing number of orders for the TN Eagle in Europe, Asia and the United States. Its commissioning is planned for 2024.
“NRC approval is a key step allowing us to continue our developments in the transport of used nuclear fuel in the United States. The result of the innovative design of the Orano teams allows us to divide the number of the transport packaging parts by ten and significantly reduce manufacturing times while increasing safety and competitiveness. The TN Eagle is a real technological breakthrough compared to other models on the market,” commended Frédéric de Agostini, Senior Executive Vice President of the Nuclear Packages & Services activities.
About Orano
As a recognized international operator in the field of nuclear materials, Orano delivers solutions to address present and future global energy and health challenges. Its expertise and mastery of cutting-edge technologies enable Orano to offer its customers high value-added products and services throughout the entire fuel cycle. Every day, the Orano group’s 17,000 employees draw on their skills, unwavering dedication to safety and constant quest for innovation, with the commitment to develop know-how in the transformation and control of nuclear materials, for the climate and for a healthy and resource-efficient world, now and tomorrow.
Orano, giving nuclear energy its full value.
