A national asset for nuclear logistics.
ORNL’s Nuclear Materials Packaging, Transportation, and Systems Analysis Group delivers systems-level engineering solutions for nuclear materials management.
The long-term management of spent nuclear fuel and high-level radioactive waste poses one of the most technically complex and security-critical challenges in the nuclear field. From transportation and storage to final disposition, every stage demands the highest standards of safety, performance, and regulatory compliance.
Through the rigorous design, analysis, and testing of radioactive material packages, the NMPTSA group is informing regulatory decisions and optimizing materials logistics that are addressing today’s needs and helping design the future of secure nuclear infrastructure.
Unique capabilities
The group brings unmatched depth and technical rigor to advancing the transport and storage of radioactive materials. Their integrated approach combines specialized facilities, proven processes, and systems-level expertise:
- Purpose-built testing infrastructure. ORNL’s dedicated nuclear packaging test facility is designed to support full-lifecycle testing and certification of Type A, Type B, and special form radioactive material packages. This facility enables the team to perform rigorous evaluations as defined by 10 CFR 71.71 and 10 CFR 71.73.
- Rigorous, standards-driven methodology. The group ensures every testing element aligns with the highest standards of safety, security, and performance, making ORNL a trusted national partner for regulatory testing and certification.
- Systems-level nuclear logistics expertise. The group offers unmatched expertise in resolving waste package management issues, modeling package behavior, examining transportation infrastructure, evaluating consolidation strategies, supporting safeguards testing, and developing inventory tracking and de-inventory strategies to meet future fuel cycle needs.
The group has demonstrated these capabilities through several recent projects, including the 3D metrology of the Idaho State University research reactor and the development of an autonomous inspection rover for dry storage casks.
Delivering impact through national collaborations
Delivering impact through national collaborations
The group works closely with leading institutions across the DOE complex and industry, including Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Savannah River National Laboratory, and Sandia National Laboratories.
Through the Package Performance Project, the group is co-leading a full-scale test campaign of spent nuclear fuel transport casks and canisters, to demonstrate system integrity and performance under credible accident conditions—reinforcing public and regulatory confidence in future nuclear transport systems.
Shaping the future of nuclear packaging and transport.
As next-generation reactors mature, the materials they rely on and the systems that carry and contain them must evolve accordingly. The group is already looking to the future and is focused on the development of novel packaging and testing methods that anticipate the needs of future fuel cycles, including the transportation and storage of advanced reactor fuels.