Framatome said it had signed a contract to deliver two full fuel assemblies using the company’s industry-leading Enhanced Accident Tolerant Fuel (EATF) solution to Exelon Generation’s Calvert Cliffs Nuclear Power Plant with delivery expected in February 2021.
Developed under Framatome’s PROtect program, these assemblies contain the company’s near-term solution, with chromia-enhanced pellets and chromium-coated M5 Framatome cladding. Calvert Cliffs represents the fourth reactor type to which the company will supply fuel assemblies with EATF. Framatome’s PROtect EATF designs are more tolerant to loss of active cooling in the reactor core for longer periods, as their reduced oxidation behavior thereby increases coping time. Simultaneously, this fuel offers improved performance during normal operations, allowing operators greater flexibility and efficiency. “Exelon Generation’s industry-leading fuel experts have spent years evaluating Accident Tolerant Fuel and the PROtect program. We are continually looking for innovative ways to enhance our reliability while maintaining the exceptional standards for safety that are held at Calvert Cliffs and across the Exelon nuclear fleet,” said Calvert Cliffs Site Vice President Mark Flaherty. This fuel design benefits from Framatome’s work with the U.S. Department of Energy, which recently granted the company an additional $49 million in funding for its PROtect EATF program. In addition, European partners like CEA, which initially identified the suitable cladding coating, EDF, Goesgen Nuclear Power Plant in Switzerland, and leaders from across the nuclear sector have collaborated for several years on aspects of this fuel design. Exelon Generation’s Calvert Cliffs Nuclear Power Plant is in Calvert County, Maryland. Its two pressurized water reactors produce 1,850 megawatts of carbon-free energy that powers more than 1 million homes.
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