Sixth transport of metallic compacted waste to Belgium

Press release

BACK-END BG / TRANSPORT

August 08, 2012

A railway shipment of metallic waste* is organised today from AREVA’s railway terminal in Valognes (France) to the storage facility in Dessel (Belgium).

This sixth transport is composed of two TN24 casks containing 48 containers of compacted waste. It brings the number of containers shipped to Belgium up to 288, which represents two third of the containers of compacted waste to be shipped to this country.

In accordance with commercial contracts signed between SYNATOM (company in charge of the management of the Belgian nuclear fuel) and AREVA, part of Belgian nuclear spent fuel has been sent to France for recycling. The return shipment to Belgium of the metallic compacted waste and vitrified waste resulting from the nuclear reprocessing process is dictated by the French law. Up to now, 100% of the Belgian vitrified wastes have been returned.

These transports of nuclear material fully comply with national and international applicable regulations in order to guarantee a high level of safety and security. Hence, the cask used is compliant with safety criteria defined by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and is designed to ensure people and environment protection in all circumstances.


* The spent fuel metallic structures received at AREVA La Hague plant are cut and compacted to reduce their volume by 5. These compacted wastes are then placed into steel containers.