Orano Tricastin - an environmentally state-of-the-art industrial site

The Orano Tricastin industrial platform, located in the Drôme and Vaucluse Departments, encompasses all chemical (conversion, defluorination and denitration) and uranium enrichment activities. These activities precede the final stage of fuel assembly fabrication for nuclear power plant reactors across the world.

Orano Tricastin: a site committed to reducing its environmental footprint

Environmental monitoring

The measurements taken on and around the site are organized by the Environmental Monitoring Network (Réseau de Surveillance de l’Environnement - RSE) to check the effectiveness of the actions taken to reduce gaseous and liquid discharge. The results, in particular for radioactivity, are sent regularly to the supervisory authorities and to the stakeholders (information commissions, elected representatives and local residents).

300 sampling points
30,000 analyses carried out each year: water, air, sediment, plants and fish, etc.

● Extensive sampling and resources

The atmospheric monitoring and food-chain analyses are carried out both by a dedicated internal team and also by accredited approved laboratories that are audited periodically. Orano Tricastin is a member of the National Measurement Network for Radioactivity and the Environment (RNME – add internet site).

● Managing discharge from the facilities

Effluent is fully identified and characterized, both by type and by quantity discharged, before being released into the environment

● Gaseous discharge

Gaseous effluent comes from the production processes at different stages of the operation, and also from renewing air in the general building ventilation systems. It is treated and filtered before being discharged into the atmosphere.

● Liquid discharge

This may be process effluent, cooling water, sanitary waste water or rain water. All liquid effluent is subject to a specific treatment, sampling and checks before being discharged into the Rhône via the Donzère-Mondragon canal.

The ATLAS Analysis Laboratory

The Atlas Laboratory has been operational since 2017 and brings together in one place all those staff responsible for carrying out analyses relating to product quality and environmental monitoring. The building is designed to withstand external risks and has customized fire protection. It houses staff with a variety of skills:

Industrial analysis and production support
Analysis of production monitoring during the manufacturing process and product quality control.
Checking the compliance of effluent, as regards the regulatory authorities.
Environmental analysis
Analysis of the samples taken in the environment inside and outside the site

Waste management

Radioactive waste is managed within a strict legislative and regulatory framework. All the waste produced at the Tricastin site is inspected and monitored to ensure it is optimized, controlled and traceable. Whether it has Very Low (VLLW) or Low (LLW) activity, radioactive waste is sorted and packaged on the site. It is then transferred to one of the ANDRA’s specialized disposal centers.
Throughout the process, both the industrial operators and the ANDRA ensure that it remains fully traceable.

90%

of the radioactive waste produced by the site’s facilities has a radiological activity level of Very Low (VLLW)

Find out all our results for nuclear and occupational safety, the environment and radiation protection in the Orano Tricastin information report.

● The Trident workshop: a shared waste-treatment plant

The new plant will allow us to optimize how we manage the treatment of radioactive waste, both technically and environmentally, at the Orano Tricastin site. The workshop will be responsible for all the stages in treatment, from the reception of radioactive waste to its storage before dispatch to approved storage centers.

● Workshop surface area: 10,200 m²
● Treatment capacity: 2,500 tonnes/yr