ML23285A304
| ML23285A304 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | 07001113 |
| Issue date: | 10/13/2023 |
| From: | NRC/NMSS/DFM/FFLB, NRC/RGN-II/DFFI/FFB1 |
| To: | |
| References | |
| Download: ML23285A304 (9) | |
Text
SITE VISIT INFORMATIONAL SHEET Global Nuclear Fuel - Americas (GNF-A)
Thursday, October 26, 2023 ML23285A304 U.S. NRC Visitors Dan Dorman, Executive Director for Operations, U.S. NRC
Rob Lewis, Deputy Director, NMSS
Catherine Iwanowski, International Relations Specialist, OIP
Jonathan Rowley, Project Manager, DFM
Joel Rivera, Sr. Fuel Facility Inspector, Region II, DFFI Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission (CNSC) Visitors Ramzi Jammal, Executive Vice-President, Regulatory Operations B ranch and Chief Regulatory Operations Officer Alex Viktorov, Director General, Power Reactor Regulation
Caroline Ducros, Director General, Advanced Reactor Technologie s
Sarah Eaton, Director, Advanced Reactor Licensing
Paul Blackmore, Director, Nuclear Security
Kevin Lee, Senior Project Officer, Innovation and Research Lisa Donnelly, Senior International Relations Officer, Internat ional and Government Affairs
U.S. NRC Main Points of
Contact:
Joel Rivera, Sr. Fuel Facility Inspector, Region II, 404-997-48 25 Jonathan Rowley, Project Manager, NMSS/DFM, 301-415-4053
GNF-A/GE Hitachi Participants
- Ryan Huth, Facility Manager, GNF-A
- Scott Murray, Facility Licensing Manager, GE Hitachi
- Ben Kroma, Wilmington Field Service Center Facility Manager
- Michelle Catts, GE Hitachi, Nuclear Energy Nuclear Programs Man ager
- George Wadkins, BWRX-300 Project Manager
Primary GNF-A Point of Contact
- Scott Murray, 910-819-5950
Agenda Time (EDT) Activity 08:00 - 08:30
- Arrive at GNF-A facility South Gate (Centennial Dr., Castle Hayne, NC 28429)
- Obtain visitor badge
08:30 - 08:45 Escort to Parking Lot and Building J Executive Conference Room
08:45 - 09:15 Meet and greet, GNF-A overview and business updates with Select ed Invitees
- GEHitachi/GNF-A Overview (Ryan Huth)
09:15 - 09:30 Break and preparation for facility tour
09:30 - 11:00 GNF-A facility tour (Ryan Huth) ***
11:00 - 11:45 Wilmington Field Service Center (WFSC) Tour (B. Kroma)
12:00 - 13:00 Lunch w/ M. Catts (Building J Executive Conference Room)
13:30 Wrap-up/Depart GNF-A
- The licensee will provide Personal Protective Equipment (PP E) as needed. Closed-toe shoes and long pants are required to tour the site. Shoes do not need to have metal or composite toe protection.
Agenda details are as follows:
- 1) Meet and greet will include a brief presentation about GE Hi tachi (GEH) and GNF-A nuclear businesses, products and the Wilmington, NC site operations.
- 2) Window tour of GNF-A NRC licensed fuel manufacturing operati ons (FMO) dry conversion, control room, and a portion of the pellet press, grind, and rod load areas.
- 3) Virtual reality tour inside a BWRX-300 small modular reactor facility at the WFSC.
- 4) Working lunch and question and answer with Michelle Catts, S enior VP, GEH Regulatory Affairs. (A $10 (American) fee per person for catered lunch).
Facility Information Licensee Name Global Nuclear Fuel - Americas, LLC.
P.O. Box 780 Wilmington, North Carolina 28402 Site Location 3901 Castle Hayne Rd Wilmington, NC 28401 Owners General Electric (51%) and Hitachi (49%)
Fuel Facility Category Category III Agreement State The State of North Carolina is an NRC Agreement State. North Ca rolina Material Licensees are regulated by the North Carolina Departme nt of Health and Human Services.
Licensed Activities GNF-A primarily manufactures fuel assemblies for commercial nuc lear reactors. Operations include conversion of up to 5.0 weight per cent enriched uranium hexafluoride to uranium oxide powder via a dry conversion process. The uranium oxide powder is pelletized and loaded into fuel rods. The licensee operates multiple powder and pelle t production lines. The licensee also operates production lines f or the fabrication of uranium pellets mixed with a burnable neutron ab sorber.
Fuel rods are fabricated into assemblies and shipped to various U.S. and international locations.
The licensee is also authorized to ship uranium oxide powder di rectly to international fuel fabrication customers. Other licensed activi ties that support fuel manufacturing include uranium storage, uranium rec overy, waste treatment, technology development, and laboratory operations.
Current and Future The NRC is currently reviewing the GNF-A license amendment requ est, Licensing Activities submitted June 2022, that will permit nuclear fuel fabrication at material enrichments up to 8.0 weight percent uranium 235 (U-235). If a pproved, this amendment will support GNF-As plans to produce accident t olerant fuel with increased enrichment.
GNF-A is partnering with TerraPower to produce the fuel for Ter raPowers Natrium Reactor. GNF-A has plans to request an amendment that w ill permit nuclear fuel fabrication up to 20 weight percent U-235 t o support the fabrication of Natrium fuel.
GNF-A Directions and Site Map
GPS Address Google Maps Plus Code: 839F+H7H Skippers Corner, NC OR Centennial Dr, Castle Hayne, NC 28429
South Security Gate
Park Here and Report to the Security Building Shown
General Site Map
Building J
South Security Gate
Biographical Information
Michelle Catts GE Hitachi Nuclear Energy Nuclear Programs Manager Michelle Catts serves as the GE Hitachi (GEH) Nuclear Programs Manager (effective May 2020).
In this new leadership role, Michelle is responsible for ensuring world-class Quality, Continuous Improvement, Regulatory Affairs, and oversight of Environment, Health & Safety programs.
Previously she was the Regulatory Affairs Manager and did retain that position with her new role.
Michelle joined GEH in August 2018 after a 15-year career with the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. At the NRC, she held positions of increasing responsibility including Resident Inspector at Palo Verde Nuclear Generating Station, Senior Resident Inspector at Indian Point Unit 2 and Brunswick Nuclear Plant, Policy Advisor to NRC Chairman Macfarlane and Branch Chief in the King of Prussia, PA office.
Michelle attended North Carolina State University where she earned a bachelor's degree in Nuclear Engineering.
Ryan Huth Facility Manager Global Nuclear Fuel - Americas
Ryan Huth is the GNF-A Facility Manager. In this role, Ryan is responsible for the safe and compliant operation of nuclear fuel manufacturing and manufacturing maintenance activities. Ryan is also the official holder of GNF-A's SNM license issued by the NRC.
Ryan brings 16 years of engineering, supply chain and leadership experience. He joins the nuclear business after his most recent assignment as Plant Manager for GE Aviations Ceramic Matrix Composite (CMC) plant in Asheville, NC. In this role, Ryan built a new facility, grew and developed a cross-functional team, and lead efforts to industrialize and scale the CMC technology from development to high-rate production.
After completing coop rotations in GE Aviations Wilmington, NC facility, Ryan joined GE as part of the Edison Engineering Program. After program graduation, he held roles of increasing responsibility including Design Engineer, Project Engineer, and Assembly & Test operations.
Following, he led a global engineering team responsible for engine assembly and test processes throughout GE Aviation facilities and the MRO network.
Ryan holds a Bachelors Degree in Mechanical Engineering from NC State University and a Masters Degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Cincinnati.
Scott P. Murray CHP Manager, Facility Licensing GE Hitachi Nuclear Energy Wilmington, NC
Mr. Murray began his GE career in 1979 as a Nuclear Safety Engi neer at the Wilmington Fuel Fabrication facility. Since then he has managed the criticality and radiation safety functions, served as the Manager, UO2 Production and Manager, Outage Services EHS su pporting field services work for customer reactor outage projects, the worker concerns program a nd loss prevention and control activities.
In July 2006, he began his current assignment. In this role, he is responsible to provide technical and strategic direction for GE Nuclear licensed activities and regu latory interfaces including radioactive material license application and renewal submissions, amendment s, and routine regulatory interfaces.
Mr. Murray received a B.S. degree in Radiation Protection from Oklahoma State University in 1976. In 1982, he became a Certified Health Physicist by the American Bo ard of Health Physics and is an active member of the Health Physics Society.