Savannah River Site Resumes Waste Shipments to WIPP Using New Container Technology

The Savannah River Site (SRS) in Aiken, S.C., has resumed shipping remote-handled legacy transuranic waste to the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) in New Mexico. This development follows an announcement from the Department of Energy’s Office of Environmental Management (DOE-EM) regarding the successful completion of the initial shipment utilizing a new type of heavy-duty shielded container.

The introduction of this new packaging is a key component in facilitating the continued transfer of remote-handled transuranic waste. These materials require specialized handling due to their radioactivity and are a focus of ongoing environmental management efforts. The successful first shipment marks a significant step in the long-term waste disposition strategy for legacy materials generated from defense-related activities.

The Waste Isolation Pilot Plant is the nation's only deep geological repository for transuranic waste, playing a critical role in the Department of Energy's mission to safely manage and dispose of nuclear waste. The resumption of shipments from SRS contributes to the overall progress in reducing the inventory of such waste stored at various sites across the United States. The new container technology is expected to enhance the safety and efficiency of these transportation operations.

India Targets 100 GW Nuclear Capacity by 2047 Amidst Grid Expansion

India is developing its power system to accommodate a larger share of non-fossil energy sources, including nuclear power. A transmission plan is being implemented to support approximately 900 GW of capacity by 2035-36. This expansion focuses on integrating renewable energy while maintaining grid stability through technologies like pumped storage, batteries, and grid-forming solutions.

Nuclear power is projected to play a more significant role in India's energy mix, with a target of 100 GW by 2047. This ambition is part of a broader strategy to diversify generation and meet increasing power demand, which is expected to double in the coming years and rise substantially by 2047. The Central Electricity Authority (CEA) indicates that achieving 500 GW of non-fossil capacity by 2030 is feasible, given the accelerated pace of capacity additions.

The success of this energy transition hinges on the simultaneous scaling of generation, transmission, and storage infrastructure. Domestic manufacturing, cybersecurity measures, and streamlined regulatory approvals are identified as crucial elements for the expanding power system. The ability of transmission, storage, domestic equipment supply, and grid technologies to scale efficiently will be critical for maintaining reliability as India pursues its 2035-36 and 2047 energy objectives.

District Cooling Critical for India's Energy Future Amid Rising Demand

Industry leaders at the 6th ET Energy Leadership Summit 2026 highlighted the urgent need for district cooling infrastructure in India. Cooling demand in the country is projected to increase eightfold by 2047-48 from 2017-18 levels, potentially consuming up to half of the peak electricity demand. Experts stressed that meeting this demand requires a comprehensive approach, including policy mandates, viable business models, domestic manufacturing, and better integration with grid planning.

Marisamy Muthuraman, Additional General Manager-Engineering at NTPC, noted that simply expanding generation capacity to meet cooling needs would incur significant costs across generation, transmission, and distribution. Instead, he advocated for strategies such as time-of-day tariffs and thermal energy storage to shift cooling consumption to off-peak hours and support grid balancing. The panel concluded that the successful scaling of district cooling in India depends on policy recognition, financial incentives, and the development of domestic equipment capabilities to prevent a substantial peak-power problem.