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NRC clears Holtec’s spent fuel in New Mexico

Holtec International has received the long-awaited license from the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) for its Hi-STORE CISF spent nuclear fuel storage project. This partnership with the Eddy-Lea Energy Alliance paves the way for a long-term storage solution for nuclear fuel in U.S. reactors.

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Holtec International has received a license from the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) for its spent nuclear fuel storage project called Hi-STORE CISF. The project, which aims to store spent nuclear fuel from U.S. reactors until a permanent storage site is opened, was launched in partnership with the Eddy-Lea Energy Alliance (ELEA).

Birth of the project in 2015

In 2015, Holtec launched the Hi-STORE CISF initiative at a site between Carlsbad and Hobbs in Lea County, New Mexico, on land owned by ELEA. Spent fuel currently stored at the reactor sites would be transported by rail to the CISF.

In 2017, Holtec submitted a 40-year license application to the NRC for the initial phase of the project, which calls for up to 500 containers to hold approximately 8,680 tons of spent fuel. According to the company, the number of containers will gradually increase over the next 20 years, with 19 additional phases, reaching a total of 10,000 containers. Each expansion would require an amendment to the NRC license.

The final license was issued after the NRC approved a final environmental impact statement in 2022. Holtec also plans to contribute to the economic development of the southeastern New Mexico region by establishing advanced manufacturing facilities, a technology development center and a global workforce training center.

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