Spent Fuel Pool Safety

The NuScale spent fuel pool can accommodate a high-density fuel racking system that meets NRC requirements and provides 15-year of spent fuel storage It provides a minimum of 30 days of passive cooling of the spent fuel assemblies following a loss of all electrical power without the additional water.

Spent fuel is maintained in an underground stainless steel lined concrete pool adjacent to the reactor pool. The stainless steel liner is seismically isolated from the concrete pool wall. Its below-grade position greatly reduces potential for loss of cooling water. A clean-up system reduces the build-up of products.

After removal from the reactor core, spent fuel assemblies are placed in dedicated spent fuel storage racks in the below ground spent fuel pool, which contains four times more water volume for cooling per fuel assembly than current designs. Standard LWR fuel allows leveraging extensive experience and infrastructure for the storage, handling, and shipment of spent reactor fuel. Our facility is designed for ease of spent fuel transfer to a dry cask storage system. Within approximately 5 years, the thermal load of the spent fuel assemblies is reduced significantly, and can be moved to a secure dry storage area. The plant site layout includes space allocation adequate for the dry storage of all of the spent fuel for the 60-year life of the plant.