NAC wins Norway's used-fuel cask contract
From the Energy digest for Nov 6, 2026
What happened: US-based NAC International has been contracted by Norwegian Nuclear Decommissioning to deliver casks for the dry storage of about 16.5 tonnes of used nuclear fuel from the country's shut Halden and Kjeller research reactors — metallic uranium, aluminium-clad and experimental fuels that cannot be stored or disposed of in their current form. The design stores fuel in stainless steel containers inside protective concrete silos, with a design life beyond 70 years and separate transport containers; NAC anticipates a 22-month development period, with start-up dependent on the necessary security agreement being in place. The contract pairs with the earlier Studsvik agreement, which runs to 2055 and covers transport to Sweden, inspection and treatment (including oxidation of metallic uranium fuel) ahead of return to Norway for final disposal. Norway's clean-up is estimated to cost more than NOK 21 billion (about USD 2.2 billion).
What's genuinely new: Four international offers were tendered and NAC has won — moving Norway's Halden–Kjeller fuel solution from study to a named supplier, cask design and development schedule. The Studsvik treatment route was agreed earlier this year; the NAC contract is the new step.
Watch: The security agreement and permits needed before transport, the 22-month development period, the Studsvik treatment shipments, and the eventual return of fuel to Norway.
Links: World Nuclear News · Nov 6, 7:00 AM ET