Arrival at the COGEMA La Hague site of the four MOX fuel assemblies for the United States

Press release

March 16, 2005

The four MOX fuel assemblies fabricated from American excess weapon-grade plutonium arrived at the COGEMA-La Hague plant yesterday at 10:10 pm. They have been transported by road from COGEMA's Melox plant (Gard) under strict safety and security conditions.

These assemblies will be transferred from a road transport container to a maritime shipment container, to be shipped to the United States on board purpose-built ships.

This shipment from the port of Cherbourg will be carried out in the coming weeks, in accordance with the planned schedule.

This operation, which consists of transforming excess weapon-grade plutonium stocks into civil nuclear fuel for power plants, is implemented within the framework of the non-proliferation program involving the United States and the Russian Federation. The four assemblies fabricated in France will validate the performance of MOX fuel in an American nuclear reactor. They will be loaded at the nuclear power plant of Catawba, operated by the utility company Duke Power.

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