AREVA logo

FRENDE
Media Center

Industrial operator for the French Atomic Energy Commission

Concrete pouring for packages of solid wastes of CDS - Marcoule facility

AREVA is the CEA's (French Atomic Energy Commission) benchmark industrial partner on the Marcoule facility for the cleanup and disassembly of nuclear installations which have reached the end of their life cycle, as well as for the operation of nuclear and conventional installations.

AREVA, lead contractor for processing of the site

From 1958 to 1997, plant UP1 treated used fuels from the subsidiary UNGG (natural uranium - graphite - gas). It ceased operations on September 30, 1997. The redevelopment phase since launched constitutes a world first for a nuclear site of this size.

Some figures:

  • 30 years of construction work,
  • 1,000 locations to clean,
  • 30,000 ton of waste to treat, 2% of which was highly active

Under the project leadership of CEA, AREVA Marcoule is the industrial operator for the cleanup of the treatment plant and its connected facilities. It performs operations including:

  • Cleaning and disassembly of the treatment plant and associated facilities, such as preparation workshops:
    • rinsing circuits using classic or specific chemical reagents,
    • Decontamination, shearing, and disassembly of equipment (pumps, filters, tanks, glove boxes...)
  • Recovery, sorting, and reconditioning of waste generated since the inception of the site as well as those produced by the cleanup operations, in accordance with applicable standards: oil drums, structural waste, fuel containers... These were then temporarily stored on-site or removed to a permanent storage facility.

Nuclear installation operator

AREVA also operates in Marcoule various nuclear industry installations, on behalf of the CEA for the: 

  • Production of tritium. 
  • Treatment of liquid waste and waste products.  
  • Inspections and laboratory expertise in nuclear materials.
  • Dosimetry of personnel.
  • Decontamination of machines and tools.  
  • Maintenance of transport containers for nuclear materials.

Distribution of employees

Alternate content
video
Experts in dismantling

Experts in dismantling

To ensure the mutation sites of the technical, human and environmental, AREVA has established the Business Unit Nuclear site value development. From 1958 to 1997, the plant processed UP1 spent fuel from the pipeline UNGG (natural uranium - graphite - gas). It ceased operations September 30, 1997. The phase of redevelopment has brought a world first for a nuclear site of this size.

video
Clip AREVA in MARCOULE

Clip AREVA in MARCOULE

AREVA is the CEA's reference industrial partner on the MARCOULE site.

decorative

Marcoule AREVA is one of six sites in the BU Nuclear site value development. Founded in 2008, it aims to lead the project to dismantle nuclear facilities by the end of operation.