HBURC Shipment AHWG

The High Burnup Research Cask (HBURC) Project is a research project that the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has been conducting in collaboration with the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) since 2013. The purpose of the project is to investigate whether higher burnup nuclear fuels perform similarly to lower burnup fuels once they were removed from the reactor and placed in dry storage containers. DOE is currently developing plans to relocate the HBURC from the North Anna Power Station in Mineral, Virginia to Idaho National Laboratory for further research using DOE's Atlas railcar. .

Learn more about the HBURC project at https://curie.pnnl.gov/HBURC-Transport and view the fact sheet here.

The HBURC Shipment Ad Hoc Working Group (AHWG) of the NTSF was established in May 2025 with the following primary goals: (1) facilitate a dialogue between Federal staff from DOE (Offices of Nuclear Energy and Environmental Management), Tribal and State governments along the transportation route, the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA), and other Federal agencies, as applicable; (2) coordinate training plans, technical assistance needs, transportation plans, and public communication resources for the shipment; (3) build capacity, gather lessons learned in real time, and develop a common understanding of how future DOE rail shipments of spent nuclear fuel could operate. The group also aims to complete and pilot the Rail Consist Safety Inspection Protocol developed by the now-sunset Rail/Routing AHWG.

For information on the HBURC Shipment AHWG, contact:

• DOE-lead Erica Bickford (DOE-NE)

• DOE-Tribal and State Engagement Lead Sara Hogan (DOE-NE)

• Lab Support Lead Miriam Juckett (PNNL)