A Wilmington-based GE joint venture has secured an energy-related contract worth more than $100 million, company officials announced Monday.
 
Global Nuclear Fuel (GNF), a GE-led joint venture with Hitachi Ltd. and Toshiba Corporation, has been selected by Nebraska Public Power District to continue to provide fuel reloads for Cooper Nuclear Station near Brownville, Nebraska.
 
“Cooper has been fueled by GNF since the joint venture of GE, Hitachi and Toshiba was formed in 2000,” a news release stated. “From 1974 to 1999, fuel for the plant ... was provided by GNF’s predecessor, the nuclear fuel division of GE Nuclear.” 
 
The new fuel supply contract runs through 2034 and includes nine reloads that will potentially supply the boiling water reactor for the rest of its anticipated lifetime, the release stated.
 
GNF’s “high performance fuel assembly” is designed to deliver increased energy output while decreasing overall fuel cycle costs, according to the release, which explained that the design “saves utilities money by reducing the total amount of uranium and the average enrichment in fuel reloads.”
 
Fuel for Cooper will be fabricated by GNF at its Castle Hayne facility.
 
In June, the Nebraska Public Power District awarded a contract to GE Hitachi to provide a full range of outage and inspection services at Cooper for six planned outages through 2024, the release stated.