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Zirconium is the reactor’s primary safety barrier 

Sheets of zirconium for the fabrication of fuel assembly tubes

AREVA, through its subsidiaries CEZUS and ANF, has renowned experience in the fabrication of zirconium and zirconium alloys, and supplies most of the world’s major nuclear operators. AREVA is world leader with 40% of the market for zirconium products used in the nuclear industry.

Why zirconium?

Zirconium is used in the nuclear industry as a material for cladding and structural elements in fuel assemblies. Cladding constitutes the reactor’s first confinement barrier.
The use of zirconium is explained by its specific qualities, such as low absorption of thermal neutrons and an excellent resistance to corrosion in water and high-pressured steam. This material also offers good mechanical strength and stability under radiation, ensuring permanent contact between the fuel and the coolant.

Plants specialized in zirconium metallurgy

The supply of fuel assemblies is an essential component of its integrated offer. The Fuel Zirconim Division integrates all steps in the manufacturing of Zirconium, from zircon (ore) to finished products

The Fuel Zirconium Dvision includes CEZUS, with five plants in France, and ANF, with one plant in Germany.  

AREVA owns the greatest capacity in the world for the production of zirconium.
This activity draws on vast expertise in chemical and metallurgical processes:

  • Fabrication of zirconium sponge
  • Arc welding, extrusion, forging, and lamination
  • Heat treatment
  • Non-destructive testing.

Each plant is specialized in one aspect of the metallurgy or zirconium shaping:

Zirconium sponge and semi-finished products

  • The CEZUS plant in Jarrie (Isère) products zirconium sponges through chemical operations and extractible metallurgical processes.  The plant manufactures about 1,900 metric tons each year. It also enhances derived products such as hafnium salt, magnesium and silicon, as well as zircon and highly pure hafnium.
  • The CEZUS plant in Ugine (Savoie) manufactures zirconium alloys from sponges coming from Jarrie, recycled zirconium products and added elements. These material are then melted, forged then shaped into flat products called largets, bars, cladding sketches.  
    The semi-finished products are then delivered to other facilities to be processed into tubing, slab and flat band. The plant, through the melting and forging process, also turns products into titanium.
    Ugine is also the site of the CEZUS Research Center, renowned for its research and development activities in alloys.

Flat products

  • The CEZUS plant in Rugles (Eure) uses zirconium slabs delivered by Ugine. Slabs are rolled into coils and strips, through a hot and cold rolling process.
    These flat products are used for manufacturing fuel assembly components, for PWR and BWR reactors. Its annual production capacity is roughly 500 tons of zirconium flat band and slab.

Fuel cladding and structural tubes

  • The CEZUS plant in Montreuil-Juigné (Maine-et-Loire) produces, through rolling processes, cladding and structural tubes intended to tubes manufacturers. Its annual capacity is over 1,000 tons of cladding tubes.
  • The CEZUS plant in Paimbœuf (Loire-Atlantique) and ANF plant in Duisburg (Germany), from Montreuil-Juigné cladding tubes, produces structural tubes for PWR and BWR reactors worldwide.
    Paimboeuf plant also rolls zirconium bars intended for end caps, in order to make the fuel rod watertight.
    Both Paimboeuf and Duisburg plants have a production capacity of 6,000 km of tubes per year.