New OPTIMUS-H Cask Certified for Transport of Radioactive Materials
The United States Nuclear Regulatory Commission certified an Optimal Modular Universal Shipping High-Activity OPTIMUS-H Cask by the Nuclear Assurance Corporation (NAC) for transport of high-level materials and waste.
The OPTIMUS-H outer shield is made of a 20 cm thick ductile cast-iron vessel to provide sufficient shielding for a broader range of materials that can be transported, in particular: sludge and waste generated from mining or enrichment of uranium or thorium from ore, discrete sources of radium-226, remotely managed waste, spent nuclear fuel and other intermediate- and high-level waste.
According to NAC data, the casks are of a standard design that contributes to transportation between smaller sites to support waste consolidation efforts that can improve the efficiency of shipments to the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant. In Canada, the OPTIMUS-H casks have been used to support a major CANDU spent fuel transportation campaign.
According to the company, the packaging certificate can be amended in the future to include new substances in the list of materials that can be transported. This will contribute to the support of research and development of advanced reactor fuels and generated waste forms, and other nuclear materials derived from nuclear production processes and the decommissioning and dismantling of nuclear facilities.