Framatome’s GAIA fuel assemblies with PROtect Enhanced Accident Tolerant Fuel (E-ATF) technology recently completed their third 18-month fuel cycle at Georgia Power’s Plant Vogtle. This milestone marks a lifecycle of operation of the world’s first full-length PROtect E-ATF fuel rods with both pellets and cladding in an operating pressurized water reactor. After operating over four and a half years, this concludes the assessment of the E-ATF GAIA lead fuel assemblies (LFAs) concept and supports licensing activities to achieve market readiness.
Southern Nuclear, which operates the Vogtle plant, removed and inspected the four LFAs with Framatome’s assistance following Cycle 23 at Unit 2. It was determined that the fuel demonstrated expected results and excellent performance. This was the last of three 18-month cycles of operation for the LFAs, inserted into the reactor in April 2019.
“This is a significant milestone for our program and through our collaboration with the U.S. Department of Energy and Southern Nuclear we bring this new and innovative technology one step closer to commercial operations,” said Lionel Gaiffe, senior executive vice president, Fuel Business Unit at Framatome. “The success of this project demonstrates accident tolerant fuel readiness for the safe and reliable generation of our clean energy future.”
Framatome’s PROtect E-ATF program, supported by funding from the U.S. Department of Energy, has operational experience in six reactors of five different types worldwide.
These four GAIA LFAs were fabricated at Framatome’s manufacturing facility in Richland, Washington in the frame of this program. Each fuel assembly included four lead test rods, for a total of 16 lead test rods with Framatome’s advanced chromium coating added to the M5Framatome zirconium alloy cladding, and chromia-enhanced fuel pellets were included in all fuel assembly rods. The chromium-coated cladding improves high-temperature oxidation resistance and reduces hydrogen generation in the unlikely event of loss of cooling. The innovative coating also offers increased resistance to debris fretting, reducing the likelihood of a fuel failure during normal operations.