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FRENDE
1/11/2010

equivalent of 400 million metric tons of gas saved

Infos

1/11/2010

With sustainable development and continuous improvement in mind, AREVA is moving ahead with recycling used fuel assemblies. Since it came on stream, its La Hague plant has processed 19,400 tons of these fuels, which has enabled it to economize on 400 million tons of oil equivalent.

Associated documents

  • Used fuel: optimized end of cycle

    AREVA's La Hague facility has a workshop for the compaction of hulls, end-pieces and technological waste resulting from the processing of used fuels. It forms part of the waste treatment strategy put in place to optimize the overall cost of the end of the fuel cycle.

  • Dividing waste volume by 5

    Hulls and end-pieces are the metal structural components of the used fuel assemblies. At the beginning of the treatment process, they are separated from recyclable nuclear materials and fission products, then compacted by means of a process enabling their volume to be reduced by a factor of 5.

  • An 8-year bath

    Before recovery of the different materials contained within the used fuel is embarked upon, the assemblies are kept in pools at AREVA's La Hague plant for a period of between 5 and 8 years. Processing operations only begin after they have cooled.

Media Center

The Back End business group

Two men rigging a TN 85 cask at the NPH destorage facility

The Back End business group (BG) offers end-of-cycle management solutions for used fuel: recycling, logistics, clean-up and site rehabilitation. Working in Europe and North America, this business group implements technology that meets the group's commitments to sustainable development.

AREVA is at the very forefront of the global back end nuclear fuel cycle
Key figures

AREVA is at the very forefront of the global back end nuclear fuel cycle.

  • 18.5% of AREVA's consolidated revenue in 2012.
  • 11,095 employees worldwide

Four men preparing a TN 85 cask for loading

The Back End BG offers electricity companies end-of-cycle management solutions for used fuel - a market in which AREVA is the world leader.

News

Seventh transport of metallic compacted waste to the Netherlands

04/03/2013

Seventh transport of metallic compacted waste to the Netherlands

Read more
Arrival of used nuclear fuel from the Netherlands for recycling

03/20/2013

Arrival of used nuclear fuel from the Netherlands for recycling

Read more
AREVA liquid waste treatment plant at the Marcoule facility

The Back End BG concentrates its operations on the end-of-cycle management of used fuel and the rehabilitation of decommissioned nuclear facilities.

Back-end activities around the world

map of Back-end activities around the world

Records present the AREVA striking performances within the Business Group Aval.

pdf
2012 Reference document

2012 Reference document

AREVA has responded to its obligations with regard to providing legal and transparency-related information through a very comprehensive document setting out in particular its financial situation, results, management operations, development prospects and priorities, and social and environmental data.

used fuel recycling

Working in collaboration with TNS Sofres, AREVA has conducted a survey in seven countries to gain a clearer understanding of perceptions about used nuclear fuel.