They quickly focused on a remote welding system with the ability to operate in a radiation environment. The TMI-2 welding system met all the technical and safety requirements for a remotely operated and monitored system. This welding system has the unique capacity of employing two independently operated weld heads essentially doubling the welding rate. The overall canister weld time from start to finish was reduced from 38 hours to 8-12 hours. Approximately 3,000 feet of welds were made over a period of eight months and there were no flaws or rework.
Today marks another important step in the nation s efforts to safely manage our nuclear materials.
This type of commitment is what we in Congress are looking for. The TMI program has supported two of DOE's missions in energy and environment. That's important, because this country gets 20 percent of its electricity from nuclear reactors. On the environmental front, moving this fuel to dry storage puts it in a safer configuration, saves an estimated four million dollars a year in maintenance costs, and puts the fuel one step closer to being ready for shipment to a final repository once one becomes available. All rights reserved.