15^th transport of Dutch compacted metal waste to the Netherlands

The transport met current national and international regulations regarding nuclear safety and security. The transport cask used complies with International Atomic Energy Agency safety standards and is designed to ensure the protection of people and the environment under all circumstances.

The Dutch convoy is carried out in accordance with French law and European regulations which provide for the return of nuclear waste to its country of origin, subsequent to the reprocessing of used fuel in France.
This shipment is the last step in the implementation of a contract signed between Orano and the Dutch electricity company EPZ, the operator of the Borssele reactor in the south-west of the country, which covers the reprocessing of over 106 tons of used fuel. This contract is governed by the intergovernmental agreement signed between France and the Netherlands in 2011.
All of the used fuel delivered to La Hague under this agreement has been reprocessed, and all the corresponding waste has now been returned to the Netherlands. Furthermore, as of 2012, Orano and EPZ renewed their partnership to ensure continuity of the reprocessing of used fuel from operation of the Borssele reactor through to the end of its operating life, currently planned in 2033.

It should be remembered that used fuel contains 96% recyclable energy materials and 4% of “ultimate waste” which is vitrified for providing optimized, safe and stable, long-term conditioning.

These activities requiring close cooperation between stakeholders in the Netherlands, France and Belgium, are testimony to the quality of the industrial cooperation between Orano and EPZ. This partnership illustrates the relevance of reprocessing and recycling as a sustainable solution for the management of nuclear waste, in support of the production of safe, low-carbon and sovereign electricity in Europe.