Background:
The High Burnup Research Cask (HBURC) Transportation Project is a research project that the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has been conducting in collaboration with the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) since 2014. The purpose of the project is to investigate whether higher burnup nuclear fuels - fuels that are kept in a reactor core longer to produce electricity – perform similarly to lower burnup fuels once they were removed from the reactor and placed in dry storage containers. In 2017, high burnup spent nuclear fuel was placed in a storage container, known as a “cask,” at the North Anna Power Station in Virginia. The cask was fitted with a special lid to allow collection of temperature data. In the coming years, DOE will continue to collect data and conduct research on this high burnup research cask, including opening the cask to remove fuel rods for examination at a DOE national laboratory. DOE is currently developing plans to relocate the high burnup research cask from the nuclear power plant where it is currently stored to the specialized facilities at Idaho National Laboratory (INL). The cask will travel by train on DOE’s Atlas railcar, a 12-axle railcar specially designed to safely transport spent nuclear fuel. The HBURC will be shipped according to the requirements and responsibilities described in DOE Order 460.2B, Departmental Materials Transportation Management.
What's Next?
DOE will work closely with other federal agencies, Tribal and State governments, as well as the origin and destination facilities to ensure that all parties are well prepared for shipment of the high burnup research cask to occur in 2027. DOE has established this resource portal to share additional information and updates on the high burnup research cask project as the project progresses.
How Can I Participate?
- THIS JUST IN! View the recording of DOE’s June 18, 2025 webinar, “Ready to Move: DOE Prepares to ship a rail-sized research cask of spent nuclear fuel,” hosted by the National Transportation Stakeholders Forum, here. (Available at www.ntsf.info/webinars.)
- Subscribe here for email updates on this project:
Sign up - Stay tuned – this site will be updated soon with additional fact sheets, webinar notifications and a library of background resources
For more information:
- View the HBURC fact sheet and a fact sheet about emergency response training.
- View the INL Press Release about the HBURC Project: Idaho and Trump Administration sign agreement to support US nuclear energy future.
- Learn more about DOE’s initial planning process for the HBURC shipment in this presentation.
- See a video about DOE’s Atlas Railcar here and read the Atlas fact sheet.
- Learn more about the DOE-NE Office of Storage and Transportation programs in this presentation.
- Read A Historical Review of the Safe Transport of Spent Nuclear Fuel. This report reviews publicly available information on SNF shipments, transportation of SNF which shows that shipment have been accomplished routinely and safely in many countries around the world, including the United States, for decades.
- View a fact sheet on the Rail Escort Vehicle that will provide security for the shipment.
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