NRC Approves MAGNASTOR Nuke Cask Upgrade, Amendment 15
Published Date: 3/20/2025
Rule
Summary
The Nuclear Regulatory Commission is updating the rules for the NAC International MAGNASTOR spent fuel storage system with Amendment No. 15. This update adds new designs, improves safety features, and supports more types of nuclear fuel, helping keep spent fuel storage safer and more efficient. These changes take effect on June 3, 2025, and affect companies using this storage system, with no extra costs announced.
Analyzed Economic Effects
7 provisions identified: 7 benefits, 0 costs, 0 mixed.
New loading permission effective June 3, 2025
If you are a power reactor licensee holding the general license under 10 CFR 72.210, you may load spent nuclear fuel into MAGNASTOR casks that meet Amendment No. 15 starting June 3, 2025. The NRC will consider significant adverse comments only if received by April 21, 2025.
Expanded heat and fuel acceptance limits
Amendment No. 15 increases allowable heat loads and fuel acceptance: it increases the Passive MAGNASTOR Transfer Cask heat load from 30 kilowatts (kW) to 35.5 kW (including preferential loading pattern B), increases the maximum system heat load capacity, adds new PWR loading patterns L, M and N (N is a short pattern), and adds new BWR loading patterns E and F.
Removal of 5% burnup penalty
Amendment No. 15 explicitly removes the 5 percent burnup 'penalty' from the certificate of compliance.
Applies only to new casks; current users unchanged
Amendment No. 15 applies only to new MAGNASTOR casks fabricated and used under Amendment No. 15; current users remain covered by Amendment No. 14 and are not required to adopt the new amendment. Existing users may choose to comply with Amendment No. 15 voluntarily.
New cask designs and technical-spec changes allowed
The amendment adds a Reduced Width Lightweight MAGNASTOR Transfer Cask variation and a new concrete cask design CC8 (using high density concrete for enhanced shielding), modifies the transportable storage canister lid clearance near the top center of the basket, and revises drawings plus Technical Specifications Appendix A and B (including removal of cool-time tables B2-13 through B2-43).
No significant environmental or radiological impacts found
The NRC determined the Amendment No. 15 changes will not significantly change effluent releases, occupational or offsite radiation exposures, or the potential consequences from radiological accidents, and found no significant environmental impact.
Approval avoids exemption costs for licensees
If Amendment No. 15 were denied, general licensees seeking to use the described changes would need to request exemptions from 10 CFR 72.212 and 72.214, which the NRC says would increase administrative burden and costs to each licensee; approval avoids that additional cost and burden.
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