Contract
The project aims to develop high-temperature gas-cooled reactor (HTGR) fuel in accordance with the technical and functional specifications for Jimmy’s fuel manufacturing plant in le Creusot, France. NUKEM was responsible for designing and integrating the corresponding fuel manufacturing process.
INTECSA Industrial Abu Dhabi has tasked NUKEM to design and supply a facility for solidification of chemical waste in Ruwais.
Description
Jimmy Energy is developing and implementing small modular reactors based on HTGR fuel technology to supply high-temperature heat for industrial applications. The small-reactor concept under development uses fuel compacts embedded in graphite blocks. The associated fuel fabrication facility is designed to manufacture fuel compacts containing uranium enriched to 19.75% U-235, also known as HALEU. Within the framework of several partnerships for the production of TRISO fuel compacts, the initial focus is on engineering the HTGR fuel production process. The project between Jimmy Energy and NUKEM was carried out in two phases between 2022 and 2025.
The solidification facility's throughput should be adequate to produce six blocks each containing 1 cub m of material per hour. The facility is to become part of a waste treatment centre (BeAAT project) which is expected to process chemical waste generated at various operating sites of the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company. The solidification facility features a Waste Receipt Bay to receive various solid waste delivered in bulk by trucks, bucket excavators or in big bags. If needed, waste can be size-reduced and placed for storage in silos just like any required aggregates (e.g. cement or sand). The centrepiece of the solidification plant is a double-shaft mixer where waste will be mixed with cement and water and subsequently poured into 1m³ moulds. The filled moulds will be transferred to dedicated curing locations and left there to mature for at least 72 hours. The resulting solid blocks will be then stripped from the moulds and consigned to the BeAAT disposal site. The moulds can be cleaned and kept for further use.
Services
NUKEM provided basic and detailed design services for the final fuel production process. This included preparing technical specifications for fuel production plant equipment and developing technical inquiry packages for long-lead items. NUKEM also advised Jimmy on the licensing process throughout the project and on nuclear safety-related matters.
NUKEM provides the following services: Basic and Detailed Design Manufacturing and installation Commissioning Electrical power, instrumentation and control systems Packaging and marking for shipment Delivery to the port of Hamburg
