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12/1/2008

MELOX, world leader in the fabrication of MOX

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Since 1995 the MELOX plant, in the south of France, has been manufacturing recycled MOX fuel. Detailed review of the stages of its production, calling upon advanced technology and environmental safety, quality, and security processes, and presentation of local involvement in the establishment.

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  • MELOX, world leader in the fabrication of MOX

    Since 1995 the MELOX plant, in the south of France, has been manufacturing recycled MOX fuel. Detailed review of the stages of its production, calling upon advanced technology and environmental safety, quality, and security processes, and presentation of local involvement in the establishment.

  • 12/1/2008 - 08:43 min

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Spent fuel coming from Germany expected at the Valognes rail terminal

Press release

April 10, 2002

Under commercial contracts and following intergovernmental agreements between France and Germany, part of the spent fuel from German nuclear power plants is sent to France for reprocessing.  In accordance with these commitments, a shipment of 2 casks containing spent fuel from German nuclear power plants is under preparation.

Taking into account the operational measures to implement, the shipment could reach the COGEMA rail terminal located in Valognes from April 23rd 2002.  On January 31st 2001, German and French Authorities gave their approval to the resumption of radioactive material shipments between the two countries. As a consequence, vitrified waste conditioned at the COGEMA La Hague reprocessing plant is transported to the storage facility at Gorleben, Germany. At the same time, German spent nuclear fuel is sent to the COGEMA La Hague plant for reprocessing.

The reprocessing and recycling of spent fuel involve separates out the valuable material that can be used again to generate energy, such as uranium (95%) and plutonium (1%), and conditions the final waste (4%) in a glass matrix. This vitrified waste is then returned to the country from which the spent fuel came.