Global Nuclear Fuel said Monday that it had been awarded an extension on its fuel supply contract for four of Entergy’s boiling water nuclear power plants in a deal worth more than $100 million.
The contract extension runs through 2021 and calls for eight fuel reloads or two each at the FitzPatrick generating station near Oswego, N.Y., the Grand Gulf power plant 20 miles south of Vicksburg, Miss., the Pilgrim power plant 38 miles southeast of Boston, and the River Bend plant 24 miles northeast of Baton Rouge, La.
GNF is a joint venture involving Hitachi Ltd. And Toshiba Corporation that is based in Wilmington, N.C.
GNF noted that it has been the exclusive supplier for fuel at Pilgrim and FitzPatrick since the plants began commercial operations in the 1970s. It has also provided several fuel reloads for the Grand Gulf and River Bend power plants.
“This extended period of fuel reloads will allow us to continue to bring value to Entergy’s operations and is a sign of the continued confidence the utility has in GNF,” Amir Vexler, chief operating officer of GNF-Americas, said in a press release.
In 2008, Entergy became the first utility to use the GNF2 advanced fuel that is said to increase output and reduce fuel costs. This spring, Entergy installed test assemblies for the latest GNF fuel design, called GNF3, in the River Bend plant.
“Based on evolutionary design changes and advanced technology developed by GNF, the GNF3 fuel assembly design will provide customers with improved fuel economics, increased performance and flexibility in operation,” GNF said.
The boiling water reactor fuel will be fabricated at the GNF facility in Willmington, the company said.