15 Annual Report 2017 15 Nippon Fuel Development Co., Ltd. Irradiation can cause aging and embrittlement of stainless steel welds in nuclear reactor vessels. Nippon Fuel Development Co., Ltd. is collaborating with INL on three-dimensional atom probe analysis of irradiated weld specimens to understand how irradiation may accelerate a phenomenon known as spinodal decomposition. Belgian Nuclear Research Centre SCK-CEN INL will provide quality assurance oversight inspections on uranium aluminide fuel plates for the Belgian Nuclear Research Centre SCK- CEN’s Nuclear Materials Science Institute Belgian Reactor 2. The fuel plates will be fabricated by BWXTechnologies, Inc., where INL has a quality assurance inspector on permanent outplant assignment. Preparatory Commission for the Comprehensive Nuclear-test-BanTreaty (CTBT) Organization Under the CTBT, a global International Monitoring System has been established to detect radioisotopes released into the atmosphere. INL will provide xenon isotope reference samples to be used for intercomparison exercises and full-system tests of noble gas monitoring systems. Montana Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) The Montana DEQ requested analysis of ideal electric vehicle charging routes and locations for EV charging infrastructure to encourage electrified travel betweenYellowstone and Glacier national parks. INL’s AdvancedVehicles group will analyze three travel routes and identify ideal locations for Level II and DC fast charging stations. R.J. ReynoldsTobacco Company R.J. ReynoldsTobacco Co. is trying to develop a biomass feedstock from tobacco crop residue. Collecting both stalk and root materials, and separating tobacco root fibers from the soil matrix is a difficult task that root crop harvesters and high pressure washing operations have not been able to achieve. INL’s expertise, facilities and partnerships make it uniquely qualified to address the challenges. Emirates Nuclear Energy Corporation (ENEC) ENEC and INL are establishing a cybersecurity assessment project for the Barakah Nuclear Power Plant in western Abu Dhabi. This assessment will identify potential security gaps (vulnerabilities) and recommend mitigation strategies for ENEC industrial control systems (ICS) operations. Strategic Partnership Project (SPP) Highlights Bioenergy feedstock from tobacco crop residue