Holtec International said Wednesday it moved a tilted fuel assembly from the Palisades reactor in Michigan into the spent fuel pool, clearing one obstacle as federal regulators flagged workplace concerns at the plant's operator.
The company said crews used a purpose-built Fuel Movement Device and a custom transfer canister to recover the assembly, designated DD41. Holtec described the operation as safe and error-free.
The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) issued a one-time license amendment on Oct. 13 to permit the transfer. The amendment allowed equipment and a route different from those described in the plant's safety analysis. According to the NRC, fuel loading began Aug. 30, and DD41 tilted at an angle of about 30 degrees after the refueling machine released it at core location H-1. The agency's notice does not say why the assembly tipped.
"Our team approached this recovery with the same commitment to safety, technical rigor, and teamwork that has guided our work throughout the restart," said Fadi Diya, Holtec's chief nuclear officer.
Workplace finding
In a separate Oct. 13 letter after an inspection, the NRC said a "chilled work environment" existed in Holtec's supply chain and quality assurance departments, where employees were hesitant to raise safety concerns. The agency said the inspection found no violations or other significant plant safety issues, and that most personnel overall felt free to speak up.
The NRC asked Holtec to share the findings with employees, take immediate steps to reassure staff, commission an independent evaluation and submit a corrective action plan within 30 days of the letter. The agency said the finding was not expected to affect the planned restart.
The National reported that nuclear engineer Arnie Gundersen raised concerns about the restart in a letter to U.S. Sen. Edward Markey. The outlet quoted the letter as saying, "Simply put, restarting the 55-year-old Palisades reactor is unsafe."
What remains
Holtec said fuel loading, testing, inspections and operational-readiness work must still be completed before the plant can resume operations. It said operations would restart once required work is finished and applicable federal requirements and industry standards are met. The company gave no restart date.
Palisades, a pressurized-water reactor in Covert Township, received its initial operating license in 1971 and permanently shut down on May 20, 2022, according to the NRC. Palisades has long-term power agreements with Wolverine Power Cooperative and Hoosier Energy, as noted in our earlier report on DOE loan listings for three U.S. nuclear restart projects.
The next fixed step is Holtec's corrective action plan, due to the NRC within 30 days of its Oct. 13 letter.
