Valar Watch · Fact safe-012

Fact safe-012

newrecordconfirmed Transport: reactor flown unfueled; DOE cleared HALEU fuel for drum shipment from Nevada after reviewers caught errors

2026-05-20 · safe-012 · U.S. Department of Energy, Savannah River National Laboratory, Valar Atomics, Chris Wright

World Nuclear News reports that Ward 250 was flown on 15 February 2026 'without its nuclear fuel', and, citing Reuters, that Energy Secretary Wright said the fuel would move separately from the Nevada National Security Site. DOE's packaging review (safe-010) followed: DOE's Savannah River Operations Office asked on 30 April 2026 to use the Model 9979 package (a 30-gallon drum inside a 55-gallon drum, a Type A fissile package) for the Ward 250 fuel blocks; the application, prepared by Savannah River National Laboratory, was revised on 18 May 'to correct decay heat and A2 mixture errors noted by DOE PCP staff'. DOE staff ran their own criticality calculations, which agreed with the applicant's, and the report, approved on 20 May, sets conditions (unsealed bagging, criticality safety index 1.0, at most 234.94 g of U-235 per package, expiry 30 June 2027 or when shipments end). Separately, DOE approved Valar's own radioactive-material packaging and transportation quality program (QA Program Approval 0049, issued 13 May 2026, corrected 18 May for Valar's address; expires 31 May 2031), covering Type B and fissile packagings. Neither DOE document states the shipping dates, route or mode, and no state or county notice of the shipments was found. Fresh (unused) TRISO fuel is only mildly radioactive: The application estimated the block's decay heat at about 0.0005 watts, which DOE's review accepted, and the review says shielding review is unnecessary for Type A fissile packages like this one.

In plain termsThe reactor itself was flown to Utah empty. Its fuel came later, from the Nevada test site, packed in a drum inside a second drum, a shipping design DOE certified for this fuel in May 2026 after its reviewers found and had fixed two calculation errors in the application. Unused fuel like this gives off little radiation; the main concern in shipping it is making sure it can never start a chain reaction, which DOE's reviewers checked independently. The public record does not say when the fuel travelled, by what route, or whether local officials were told.

US microreactor transported by air (World Nuclear News, 2026-02-18) news “Fuel for the reactor will be transported separately from the Nevada National Security site”
Safety Evaluation Report, Letter Amendment of Certificate of Compliance No. 9979 for the Model 9979 Package, Docket 26-35-9979 (U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Packaging and Transportation (Packaging Certification Program), 2026-05-20) primary government “to correct decay heat and A2 mixture errors noted by DOE PCP staff”
Issuance of Quality Assurance Program Approval 0049 (Rev 1) for Valar Atomics, memorandum to Robert Boston, Manager, Idaho Operations Office (U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Packaging and Transportation (Packaging Certification Program), 2026-05-18) primary government

verified 2026-09-29: Re-read WNW (18 Feb 2026), the SER and QA Approval 0049 on 2026-09-29. Holds. Fixed: the decay-heat figure is the applicant's estimate that DOE accepted; the 20 May document is the SER with its conditions (the letter amendment itself was not read).

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