Dry Cask Storage
Dry cask storage holds spent nuclear fuel in sealed, air-cooled steel and concrete containers above ground. It follows wet pool cooling, providing passive safety for decades.
Casks filled with helium store 32-68 assemblies per unit, certified for 60+ years by NRC. US has 3,000+ casks holding 80,000 tU. Vertical or horizontal designs withstand earthquakes, fires. Interim solution until repositories available.
Why it matters now
With spent pools full, dry casks enable plant life extensions and SMR siting in 2025-2026. Data center PPAs boost restarts, increasing interim storage demand for investors.