In a significant move for the nuclear sector, Washington State University (WSU) is enhancing its educational and research capabilities at the Nuclear Science Center, which has been operational for approximately 65 years. The center aims to expand its research capacity and workforce training initiatives to address the pressing need for skilled professionals in the nuclear industry.
For decades, the Nuclear Science Center has been a pivotal facility, supplying radioisotopes to various research institutions and national laboratories. It has also collaborated with the Idaho National Laboratory as the sole provider of radioisotopes for first responder field training. According to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), radioisotopes are unstable forms of elements that emit radiation as they transition to more stable forms.
Training Future Nuclear Professionals
The center not only supplies essential materials but also plays a crucial role in training students, particularly undergraduates, to obtain their reactor operator licenses. Corey Hines, the center’s director, emphasized the importance of early engagement in the nuclear workforce. “What we’re hearing from the industry is we need people, way earlier on, to get interested in this,” he stated. “We need people that are health physicists, that are radiochemists, that are welders, that are technicians.”
Last year, eight students earned their reactor operator licenses, and Hines anticipates that this number will exceed ten this year. This growth is part of a broader response to industry projections indicating a demand for approximately 300,000 skilled workers in the nuclear sector by 2050, as noted by Kim Christen, WSU’s vice president for research.
Future Plans and Infrastructure Development
In response to these workforce needs, WSU plans to broaden its academic offerings, which will include new degrees, certificates, and micro-credentials. These initiatives aim to support both undergraduate students and those already in the workforce, with hybrid learning options available for individuals across the state.
A key component of WSU’s expansion is the development of a hot cell facility, currently under construction. Hot cells are specialized containment chambers designed to allow scientists to work safely with highly radioactive materials. The addition of these facilities is expected to enhance the center’s research and training capabilities significantly, facilitating the production of medical isotopes used in the detection and treatment of diseases such as cardiovascular conditions and cancer.
At present, WSU sends irradiated material from its reactor to external facilities for research purposes. The new hot cells will enable more in-house operations, allowing researchers to conduct experiments and obtain results more efficiently. “(Irradiated material) can come out of the (reactor) pool, it can go into the hot cell, the researcher can do their research,” Christen explained. “We can get those results out the door that day to the customer, which could be the US government, it could be a power electricity company, it could be a fusion company.”
The first phase of the hot cell project commenced last summer, funded by a $7.6 million congressionally directed earmark. This phase involves constructing a facility capable of housing three 300,000-pound hot cells. Christen remarked, “It may look like just a concrete box when we’re done with it, but it is surely more than that.”
Phase two will focus on the actual construction of the hot cells, which will be assembled on-site akin to “Lego sets.” Although funding for this phase has not yet been secured, Christen indicated that public-private partnerships and federal funding options are under consideration. This phase could take over two years and require investments ranging from $23 million to $43 million.
Through these initiatives, WSU is poised to play a vital role in addressing the nuclear workforce shortage while also contributing to advancements in medical research and technology.
