Westinghouse and EDF Partner for EnCore®

By: Westinghouse Electric Company via Business Wire

July 26, 2022 at 09:23 AM EDT

Companies Team to Explore Enhanced Accident Tolerant Fuel Technology

Westinghouse Electric Company announced a partnership with EDF to explore the functionalities of Westinghouse’s EnCore^® enhanced Accident Tolerant Fuel (ATF) technology. Westinghouse will study its EnCore fuel in an EDF reactor for potential deployment across the EDF nuclear fleet after 2030.

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Westinghouse fuel assemblies with Encore® Accident Tolerant Fuel lead test rods. (Photo: Business Wire)

This will be the largest R&D program on enhanced fuel that Westinghouse has conducted in Europe to date. Westinghouse will deliver assemblies with Lead Test Rods (LTR) to EDF from its fuel fabrication facility in Västerås, Sweden by 2023. The initiative includes the licensing, qualification, fabrication, delivery and operation of the LTR in an EDF 1300 MWe reactor. Westinghouse also will conduct a post-irradiation exam to verify the enhanced accident tolerance features in EDF’s reactors under operating conditions.

“Westinghouse is a pioneer in the industry‐wide ATF initiative, with programs delivered to U.S. and European customers in 2019 and 2020. We are delighted to collaborate with EDF in this development program and highly value EDF’s proactiveness and engagement in this critical, long-term effort,” said Tarik Choho, Westinghouse President of Nuclear Fuel.

Westinghouse Electric Company is shaping the future of carbon-free energy by providing safe, innovative nuclear technologies to utilities globally. Westinghouse supplied the world’s first commercial pressurized water reactor in 1957 and the company’s technology is the basis for nearly one-half of the world's operating nuclear plants. Over 135 years of innovation makes Westinghouse the preferred partner for advanced technologies covering the complete nuclear energy life cycle. For more information, visit www.westinghousenuclear.com and follow us on Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter.