Weekly report : from March 20 through March 26, 2003

Press release

March 27, 2003

Treatment activity :
During this period, 28 tons of spent fuel assemblies from french and german power plants have been processed on the site. From all treated assemblies, a total of 195 tons have been processed to date this year.
This week 13 canisters of fission products(1) have been produced. Since the beginning of the year, 119 canisters have been produced. Since the beginning of the year, the facility of hulls compaction (ACC) produced 95 canisters of compacted residues(2)

Shipment activity :
A shipment of spent fuel assemblies from Switzerland arrived at the Valognes railway terminal the March 21th, at 10 am.

(1)The fission products (ultimate residues of spent fuel) are incorporated in heated glass to approximately 1100°C. The whole is poured in stainless steel containers. The fission products are an integral part of stable, compact and resistant glass. This process is called vitrification.
(2)It is about the metal envelope of the spent fuel assemblies as well as metal waste resulting from maintenance operations of the installations.