Arrival of used fuel shipment from Australia to France

The specialized vessel carrying four used fuel packages from a research reactor operated by ANSTO (Australian Agency for Nuclear Science and Technology) arrived today at the port of Cherbourg. It left Australia on July 29th.

The two tons of fuel was used over ten years for the production of radioisotopes used in medicine especially in the fight against cancer, and basic research for the development of new materials. This fuel was then sent to the Orano processing plant in La Hague for recycling.

This 5^th shipment of used fuel from Australia to France meets all the national and international safety and security regulations in force. The type of cask used, in compliance with the International Atomic Energy Agency safety standards, is designed to ensure the protection of people and the environment under all circumstances.

This transport marks the start of a second contract concluded in 2016 between ANSTO and Orano for the recycling of used fuel from the OPAL research reactor. The intergovernmental agreement was enacted in France by decree on July 6, 2018.

The recoverable materials contained in the shipped fuel will be recycled to produce electricity. The ultimate waste will be vitrified to allow for safe and stable conditioning, before being returned to Australia in accordance with French law.

This transport demonstrates once again Orano's ability to offer its customers a reliable organization with more than 55 years of experience in nuclear logistics, as well as its unique know-how in the treatment of fuel coming from research reactors.