Orano - Annual Activity Report 2024 172 4 SUSTAINABILITY STATEMENT Environmental information INTERACTION WITH WATER DISCHARGE Discharges to the environment Third-party processing CONSUMER Process water Cooling losses and evaporation Sanitary water WITHDRAWAL Distribution water Fresh surface water Groundwater Source: Orano Stored water Recycled water DEFINITIONS USED BY ORANO Fresh surface water: all inland water except groundwater, transitional water or coastal water, i.e., water from rivers, lakes, collected rainwater, dams, basins, canals, etc. freely accessible from the surface. Groundwater: all water located below the ground surface, withdrawn via pumping wells and mine water for mining activities. Mine water is pumped from rocks around drifts or pits to prevent flooding. The origin of the water used for our industrial and mining processes is multiple and varies depending on the site: surface water (lakes, rivers, sea, etc.), groundwater (aquifers), dewatering water related to mining, industrial recycling water. Three qualities of water are likely to be used depending on needs: drinking water, sanitary water and industrial water. These categories are set in accordance with the regulations and recommendations in force (national, regional, WHO - World Health Organization regulations), and failing that, according to the type of use to which they may lend themselves. Depending on the location of the sites, the classification (natural quality) of the aquifers does not systematically provide drinking water. This is particularly the case for the Katco (Kazakhstan), Nurlikum Mining (Uzbekistan) and Badrakh Energy (Mongolia) sites, where bottles of drinking water are made available to employees. Water, a key issue of tomorrow Since 2004, Orano has been working to reduce its environmental footprint, including issues relating to freshwater. In November 2021, a working group dedicated to the topic was set up. The most consuming entities are represented. The main objective of this group is to reduce the group’s water consumption. In addition, the group changed its Biodiversity strategy to a Nature strategy at the end of 2024, fully integrating water issues. The latter will be available in 2025 on the group’s website. Concerning the water component, this strategy includes by 2030: ● reducing our sources of pressure by adopting responsible and economical consumption, taking into account the best available technologies and ecosystem issues, and encouraging our value chain exposed to water-related risks to adopt a more economical approach; ● the annual assessment of the footprint of our activities with regard to local water resources (e.g., water stress via the Aqueduct Water Risk Atlas tool); and ● collaboration with other stakeholders to anticipate competition for water uses by adopting a watershed approach, and the implementation of reduction, recycling and reuse projects depending on the issues. Orano’s HSE 2024-2026 policy is based on four commitments. Two of them contain priorities for water-related actions: ● reducing the environmental footprint of our activities on several environmental aspects, including water explicitly mentioned; and ● the development of innovative approaches and tools for prevention, risk management and reduction of the footprint of our activities via commitment number 3. This policy is signed by the Chief Executive Officer and its application is monitored by the Head of Health – Safety – Environment (HSE), a member of the Executive Committee. It is available on the group’s website.
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