Federal Register #2026-07742

NRC Exemption for Use of MAGNASTOR Spent Fuel Storage Canisters at Catawba Nuclear Station

This notice concerns an environmental and regulatory action by the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) for Duke Energy Carolinas' Catawba Nuclear Station: - Government Buyer: - U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) - Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation - Division of Operating Reactor Licensing, Plant Licensing Branch III - OEMs and Vendors: - NAC International (manufacturer of the MAGNASTOR storage system) - 3M (supplier of neutron absorber panels) - Products/Services Requested: - No new procurement is requested; the action relates to regulatory exemption for existing products - Exemption covers 10 Transportable Storage Canisters (TSCs) for spent nuclear fuel storage - Product: MAGNASTOR storage system TSCs - Part Number: CoC No. 1031, Amendment No. 15 - Quantity: 10 (1 already loaded, 9 to be loaded) - Description: TSCs with neutron absorber panels fabricated outside special process instructions - Unique or Notable Requirements: - Exemption allows use of TSCs with neutron absorber panels not fully meeting certification specifications due to a fabrication deficiency - Engineering evaluations determined negligible safety impact - Exemption is limited to the affected TSCs at the Catawba Nuclear Station ISFSI - Place of Performance: - Catawba Nuclear Station, Units 1 and 2, Independent Spent Fuel Storage Installation (ISFSI), York County, South Carolina - No procurement of new products or services is being solicited; this is an environmental and regulatory exemption action

Description

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) issued an environmental assessment and finding of no significant impact for an exemption request by Duke Energy Carolinas, LLC. The exemption permits the Catawba Nuclear Station to maintain one loaded and load nine additional transportable storage canisters in the MAGNASTOR storage system under conditions not meeting the original certification terms. This action supports safe management of spent nuclear fuel storage beginning July 6, 2026, without significant environmental impact.

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