ANL-W, INEEL to be core of
advanced nuclear power
research
The U.S. Department of Energy's advanced nuclear power research will be consolidated at Argonne-West and the Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory, the U.S. Department of Energy site in southeastern Idaho where Argonne-West is located.
The two laboratories "will be the centerpiece of DOE's efforts to broaden the role of nuclear energy in our nation's energy future," U.S. Energy Secretary Spencer Abraham said at a July 15 town meeting in Idaho Falls, and "will be the central command center for the federal government's Generation IV nuclear systems research."
Generation IV nuclear energy systems will feature improved economics, safety, reliability and sustainability. They could be deployed commercially by 2030.
"It makes tremendous sense for the United States to maintain a strong role for nuclear energy," Abraham said. "We want to see existing nuclear plants remain online for their full life expectancy, and we want to see new plants built."
Managerial responsibility for the INEEL site will shift from DOE's Environmental Management Office to its Nuclear Energy Office. Argonne-West is already managed by that office and shares joint and cooperative programs with INEEL.
"We are still going to continue to work to clean up the legacy of the Cold War weapons production," Abraham said, referring primarily to nuclear weapons waste stored at INEEL, "but at the same time our nuclear energy work will take on an increasingly dominant role."
In addition to Generation IV research, the labs will take on the Advanced Fuel Cycle Initiative, a new national security program aimed at transforming and optimizing the management of spent nuclear fuel. INEEL will develop advanced fuel transportation systems and practices capable of withstanding not just accidents but also sabotage or assault by terrorists. – Dave Jacqué
For more information, please contact Paul Pugmire (208/533-7331 or paul.pugmire@anlw.anl.gov) at Argonne-West.
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