Spent fuel arrives from the Netherlands

Press release

February 19, 2002

The Dutch power company EPZ announced that preparations are under way to ship a cask of spent fuel from the Borssele power plant in the Netherlands to the COGEMA La Hague reprocessing-recycling plant on or about 20 February 2002. The rail shipment is expected to arrive at the Valognes terminal on or about 21 February 2002.

The shipment is covered by a 1993 agreement between EPZ and COGEMA to reprocess the Dutch nuclear power plant's spent fuel. Reprocessing consists of separating energy-rich uranium (95%) and plutonium (1%) from the fuel and immobilizing the remaining waste (4%) through vitrification. The vitrified waste is returned to the country of origin. All aspects of the operation must comply with stringent national and international regulations.