Recycling used fuel

An operator in the &uot;furnace&uot; room at Melox, a MOX fuel fabrication plant

With over 30 years of experience, AREVA is the international reference in the field of used fuel recycling. Its activities help facilitate the management of radioactive waste by reducing both the volume and the toxicity of this waste and by saving natural uranium resources.

Used fuel recycling in La Hague (France)

Recycling benefits

Once used in a reactor, used fuel is removed. It will be used in the fabrication of new MOX fuels.

An AREVA interim storage pit for used fuel in La Hague

Processing for recycling

Recovering used fuel enables end waste to be reduced five-fold and toxicity to be lessened ten‑fold.

Man carrying out visual checks on rods at Melox, a MOX fuel fabrication plant

MOX fuel fabrication

AREVA has developed solutions for recycling 96% of used fuel and using the uranium and plutonium contained within to make new fuels such as MOX.

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Recycling and new reactors: AREVA advantages

While the world’s new energy yield is bringing about the nuclear power revival, the technologies for recycling spent fuel and the emergence of generation III (and soon generation IV) reactors today make AREVA a world leader on this market. Status report.

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.

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