Field Report: Discover pragmatic examples of customer benefits
12th shipment of vitrified nuclear waste from France to Germany (in french)
24 hours in La Hague
Compacting structural and technological waste processing active liquid effluents
EPR™: discover the advanced reactor
Environmental protection in La Hague (France)
Recycling and new reactors: AREVA advantages
"Flamanville 3 Project" (EDF)
The Chalon Saint-Marcel plant guided tour
All at the MEETING AREVA 2010
History
AREVA's La Hague plant provides the first stage in the recycling of used fuel. The property of CEA and then COGEMA, it became AREVA's in 2006.
- 2010: inauguration of the cold crucible melter for vitrification of high-level radioactive waste. With this new melter, waste can be vitrified at very high temperatures over 1200 °C, compared to a maximum of 1100 °C with the hot crucible melter. The cold technology increases the lifespan of the crucible, allows for doubling the output of the La Hague plant, and can vitrify both a wider range of waste materials and more corrosive waste. This world premiere entailed twenty-five years of research, the mobilization of 500 persons and an investment of 200 million euros.
- 2009: the inquiry commission gave its approval at the beginning of the year and at the request of AREVA to shutdown and dismantle INB 80 (HAO facilities). The decree authorizing the definitive shutdown and dismantling operations (MAD/DEM) for this basic nuclear installation (INB) was signed on July 31st, 2009 and published in the French “Journal Officiel” on August 4th. The La Hague plant has started the dismantling operations, which are to be completed by end 2033, in compliance with the terms of the decree.
- 2009: start-up of earthworks for the new storage warehouse for French vitrified radioactive waste. The new warehouse, adding 4212 storage spaces to the 12 500 existing spaces, will open its doors in 1012. Seventy million euros will be invested to build the project, which will mobilize a work crew of 120 persons over the next four years.
- 2008 : entry into force of the waste shipping inventory system implemented for the recycling of used fuel at AREVA's La Hague facilities, referred to as the "EXPER system". Following publication of the Franco-Italian intergovernmental agreement in 2007, deliveries of used fuel under the Italian contract have continued and recycling has begun, giving rise to the first use of the EXPER system.
- 2008: recycling of latest German used fuel stored under the terms of previous agreements.
- 2006: COGEMA becomes AREVA, the site becomes AREVA La Hague.
- 1981: to meet growing demand for reprocessing, COGEMA is authorized to establish the UP3-A plant with an annual capacity of around 800 tons of used fuel from the light water line, to establish the UP2-800 plant for the same purpose and with the same capacity, to establish STE-3, a new recycling facility for liquid waste treatment from both new plants.
The commissioning of new plant assets has been made:- in 1987 for ETS-3 (INB 118);
- in 1990 UP3 (INB 116);
- in 1994 UP2-800 (INB 117);
- 2001: activation of the workshop compaction of hulls (ACC), which reduces the volume of scrap metal.
- 1976: responsibility for operating the site is transferred from the CEA to COGEMA.
1974: the CEA is authorized to modify UP2 through the creation of a facility for recycling fuel from the light water line, which would recycle its first fuel two years later.
1967: UP2 goes into industrial operation alongside the Liquid Waste Treatment Station (LWTS), intended for purifying liquid waste prior to their ejection into the sea.
1961: start of construction on the plant following the CEA's (Atomic Energy Commission) decision to establish a UP2 recycling plant for recycling used fuel from the UNGG (Natural Uranium-Graphite-Gas) line reactors.
