A crane lowered eight 12-foot fuel bundles into a reactor on the Lake Michigan shore on Sunday, 196 short of a full core, four years after the vessel was emptied for scrapping, and some of the bundles going back in are the ones that were in it when it shu

On Sunday, a crane placed eight 12‑foot nuclear fuel bundles into the reactor vessel at the Palisades Nuclear Plant on the Lake Michigan shoreline. The loading brings the core to a level 196 bundles short of a full complement. The operation occurs four years after the vessel was emptied for scrapping, and coverage notes that some of the bundles re‑installed are the same ones that were in the core when the plant shut down. The crane operation was conducted on the lake‑front site, where the reactor building sits adjacent to Lake Michigan. Local and specialist media reported the fueling as a milestone in the plant’s restart campaign. News/Talk/Sports 94.9 WSJM described the activity as the plant entering a “new phase of restart effort.” WSBT framed it as the plant moving “one step closer to restart as fuel loading begins.” WOODTV.com echoed the start of nuclear fuel loading, while Interesting Engineering highlighted the historic nature of a 2022‑decommissioned U.S. plant returning to operation.

Autonocion.com focused on the technical detail of the eight bundles and the shortfall from a full core. The reports uniformly stress that the fuel loading is a tangible step beyond earlier planning and permitting phases. The Palisades facility was taken offline and formally decommissioned in 2022, after which its reactor vessel was cleared for scrapping. The decision to reload fuel marks a reversal of that status, positioning the plant for potential power generation after a multi‑year hiatus. The core loading figure—196 bundles shy of a complete core—suggests a phased approach, a common practice when re‑commissioning reactors that have been idle. The plant’s location on the Lake Michigan shore adds logistical considerations for fuel transport and site safety.

The 2022 decommissioning followed a shutdown that left the core empty, and the subsequent scrapping preparation involved removing all spent fuel. The re‑introduction of original bundles underscores the plant’s intent to reuse existing hardware where feasible, a detail highlighted by the engineering‑focused coverage. Coverage indicates that the plant will need to complete the remaining core loading before reaching operational readiness. Observers will watch for subsequent fuel deliveries, verification inspections, and any regulatory clearances that follow the initial loading. Future reporting is likely to track the remaining 196 bundle deliveries, the completion of core loading, and any official statements from plant operators or state regulators. The timeline for achieving a full core and moving to power generation remains to be confirmed in subsequent coverage.