GE Model 2000 Transport Package - Past, Present, and Future

The GE Model 2000 Radioactive Material Transport Package (GE2000) was developed at Vallecitos Nuclear Center and is designed to transport Type B quantities of radioactive materials. The GE2000 has been certified for a variety of contents over the years, with the original NRC Certificate of Compliance issued in November 1989. The original Safety Analysis Report (SAR) (1988) covered transport of byproduct, irradiated Light Water Reactor (LWR) fuel and other Special Nuclear Material (SNM) with decay heats up to 600W. The second SAR (1993) considered a High Flux Isotope Reactor (HFIR) fuel assembly as contents. The third SAR (1994) evaluated a decay heat upgrade from 600W to 2000W. The fourth SAR (1994) considered Material Test Reactor (MTR)-type fuel assemblies and Tower Shielding Reactor (TSR) fuel elements, and Revision 1 (1997) added TRIGA fuel elements. Over 100 shipments of HFIR spent fuel were made from 1996-2012 with the GE2000; approximately a dozen domestic and international SNM shipments have been made since 1993; and multiple low-level radioactive Class B/C hot cell waste shipments have been sent to the Barnwell Disposal Facility.It was recognized by GE and the NRC that maintaining four SARs for the same shipping container was complicated and costly. To simply things from a licensing perspective, the four SARs were consolidated into a single SAR in 2016, with irradiated fuel rods, irradiated hardware, Co-60 isotope rods, and SNM as approved contents. This consolidated SAR also introduced the High Performance Insert (HPI) to increase the shielding capability of the GE2000. Revision 1 of this SAR reduced the contents to irradiated hardware and Co-60 rods to secure timely NRC approval for a 2017 shipment of irradiated Co-60 rods using the GE2000 and HPI.With the industry-wide development and implementation of Accident Tolerant Fuel (ATF), the GE2000 licensing basis is in the process of being updated to accommodate shipments of irradiated ATF rod segments for post-irradiation examination and testing. The GE2000 continues to safely fulfill a vital industry need. With minor package modifications, the GE2000 has been able to adapt and support a wide variety of irradiated contents over the years.