Doosan Enerbility Receives US Design Approval for 'Spent Nuclear Fuel Metal Storage Container'

Joint Development with US NAC... 'World's First'
Promoting Dry Storage Project for Spent Nuclear Fuel with Domestic Partners

[Asia Economy Reporter Choi Seoyoon] Doosan Enerbility announced on the 19th that it has obtained design approval from the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) for the 'Spent Nuclear Fuel Metal Storage Container,' jointly developed with the U.S. company NAC.

The ‘MSO (Metal Storage Overpack)’ model, which received design approval this time, is a metal storage container capable of storing 37 bundles of spent nuclear fuel. This is the world's first time that a spent nuclear fuel storage container has been developed using metal. Compared to existing concrete storage containers, it offers enhanced safety and occupies less space, allowing more containers to be stored in the same area.

At the design approval acquisition ceremony held on the 18th at NAC headquarters in Atlanta, USA, Cho Chang-yeol, Executive Director of Doosan Enerbility (fifth from the left), and Kent Cole, President of NAC (fourth from the right), are taking a commemorative photo with key stakeholders.
[Photo by Doosan Enerbility]

Spent nuclear fuel is initially cooled using a wet storage method in water-filled pools for the first five years, then transferred to external containers or structures for cooling in air through a dry storage method. The MSO was developed for use in dry storage of spent nuclear fuel. Since spent nuclear fuel storage containers must safely manage radiation and heat, they require special design and advanced manufacturing technology.

Kim Jongdoo, Head of Nuclear BG at Doosan Enerbility, stated, “With the technology secured through the development of this metal storage container, we will actively participate in the domestic spent nuclear fuel dry storage project and contribute to the development of permanent disposal containers in the future. Together with domestic partners, we will aggressively target the domestic and international spent nuclear fuel transport and storage container markets to strengthen the nuclear power industry ecosystem and expand exports.”

Doosan Enerbility has been steadily working to secure technology for spent nuclear fuel dry storage containers. In 2015, it signed a technology cooperation agreement with NAC, and in 2017 developed the Korean-type dry storage system 'Doosan-DSS21,' capable of safely transporting and storing up to 21 bundles of spent nuclear fuel. Subsequently, it introduced the DSS24 and DSS32 models with increased storage capacity, as well as the DPC-24 container for both transport and storage. In 2021, it became the first domestic company to export spent nuclear fuel storage containers to the United States.