Not really 😅 Orano’s 18,500 employees work in a wide variety of fields: engineering, maintenance, chemistry, logistics, data, project management, radiation protection, industrial operations, etc.
And spoiler alert: in the nuclear industry, you can’t really have a “cushy” job. Requirements related to occupational safety and nuclear safety are among the most stringent in the world. What’s more, Orano is an industrial group at the forefront of the nuclear revival, with major projects that will play a key role in the future.
In other words, it’s not exactly the best place to pretend to work.

The Orano group contributes to the production of low-carbon electricity by supplying the nuclear materials (enriched uranium and plutonium) used to fabricate fuel for nuclear power plants. The group also recycles spent fuel from reactors to make a new type of recycled fuel known as MOX, which today powers nearly one in ten light bulbs.

Orano offers comprehensive and attractive salary packages that include benefits linked to individual and collective performance, combining incentives, profit sharing and comprehensive employee benefits to support employees and their families over the long term.
In addition to the remuneration offered, working at Orano allows employees to enjoy varied career paths and career development in a work environment that’s attractive, inclusive and respectful of work-life balance.

Contrary to popular belief, nuclear waste doesn’t “disappear”: it’s tracked, packaged and monitored in compliance with extremely strict rules. In France, this is the role of the National Agency for Radioactive Waste Management (Andra).
What’s less well known is that approximately 96% of the materials contained in spent fuel (95% uranium and 1% plutonium) are reusable. These materials are recovered and recycled at Orano’s La Hague and Melox plants.
Non-recyclable materials, known as ultimate waste, represent around 4% of the total content of spent fuel. These are calcined, then mixed with molten glass and poured into stainless steel containers designed for safe long-term storage. This form of packaging is certified by ten nuclear safety authorities worldwide. Vitrified waste in France represents approximately 5 grams per inhabitant per year, or the weight of a 20 cent coin. It’s stored on the Orano la Hague site in dedicated halls, until it will be transferred to the deep geological repository planned under the Cigéo project led by Andra.

Nuclear energy is one of the world’s least CO₂-emitting forms of power, with emissions comparable to wind power, and 4 times lower than solar, 40 times lower than gas, and 70 times lower than coal.
Nuclear energy addresses both the challenges of decarbonizing the economy, in other words moving away from fossil fuels (coal, gas and oil), but also the challenges of the increasing electrification of our world, with electricity consumption projected to double by 2050. The energy transition therefore requires nuclear-generated electricity which is low-carbon, readily available and dispatchable, sovereign and competitive.

There’s no such thing as zero risk. On the other hand, it’s safe to say that the nuclear industry is one of the most monitored and regulated in the world. Nuclear safety and occupational safety are absolute priorities for the industry. In France, nuclear facilities are controlled by an independent body: the Nuclear Safety and Radiation Protection Authority (ASNR). Prevention measures are also meticulously established and tested during crisis exercises by nuclear operators to respond effectively in the event of an accident.
Use of nuclear technologies is also rigorously regulated to ensure workers are protected against radiation. The exposure of nuclear industry employees to ionizing radiation has been shown to be well below the limit of 20 millisieverts (mSv) a year set by the International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP). In 2024*, it was less than 0.55 mSv a year, while a person living in France is exposed to an average dose of 2.9 mSv of radioactivity from natural sources and 4.5 mSv of radioactivity produced by human activities (mainly medical).

The radiological impact of Orano‘s industrial sites is more than 100 times lower than natural radioactivity. That of waste storage facilities is even lower.
Radioactivity measurements taken inside and around nuclear sites are freely available online (mesure-radioactivite.fr).
_{*monitoring of 90,000 employees in the nuclear industry in France}

We can reassure you on that! No reports of birth defects have been recorded near nuclear sites. This phenomenon is linked to the low doses of radioactivity measured around nuclear facilities 😅 More seriously though, exposure to radioactivity is closely controlled and regulated for employees of the nuclear industry, as well as for local residents (see our answers in “Nuclear power is dangerous, isn‘t it?”). It’s estimated that the average irradiation due to nuclear facilities in France is 0.01 millisieverts (mSv) a year while the total irradiation (natural + artificial) of the French population is 4.5 mSv a year.
By comparison, airline pilots, flight crews and astronauts are more exposed to cosmic radiation because of altitude or spending time in space. Thomas Pesquet, for example, was exposed to around 200 mSv during his mission on the International Space Station. He’s probably the most irradiated man in France!

And radioactivity is also part of our daily lives: it’s present naturally on Earth and is used every day in medicine to diagnose and treat millions of patients.

Areva and Orano aren’t exactly the same story, or the same company.
After experiencing financial difficulties, the Areva group was reorganized and split in two from 2015. Orano (founded in 2018) took over activities related to the nuclear fuel cycle, while Framatome, which became a subsidiary of EDF, deals with reactors and nuclear equipment for power plants.
Today, Orano is an international group with 18,500 employees and posts solid financial results. Its expertise in the transformation, recovery and recycling of valuable nuclear materials makes it a unique player at the heart of climate issues, energy sovereignty and conservation of resources. In addition to meeting demand for low-carbon energy, Orano has diversified and provides solutions related to health and electric transport.

Nuclear power plants do not pollute the air: they do not emit the pollutants responsible for respiratory diseases into the atmosphere (fine particles, nitrogen dioxide, sulfur dioxide, etc.). Any discharges are subject to very strict regulations and monitoring. The white plumes coming out of the cooling towers of power plants are water droplets (clouds) and have no impact on the climate.
In the case of Orano, more than 40,000 samples and over 100,000 analyses are carried out each year around the group‘s facilities. The quality of groundwater and watercourses, air quality, radioactivity, fauna, flora and even cow‘s milk are measured!

As an expert in the nuclear fuel cycle, Orano contributes to the fabrication of fuel for nuclear reactors and recycles spent fuel. Framatome designs, maintains and installs equipment and fuels for nuclear power plants. EDF operates the French nuclear power plant fleet which consists of 56 reactors. They are all major players in the French nuclear industry.

Did you know? 96% of the materials contained in spent fuel (95% uranium and 1% plutonium) are reusable. For more than 60 years, Orano has mastered the treatment and recycling of used fuel at its La Hague and Melox plants, becoming a leading international player in this field. France has chosen to develop the recycling of nuclear materials to save uranium resources and reduce the volume and radiotoxicity of waste. For example, recycling saves up to 25% of natural uranium resources. And MOX, an assembly of recycled nuclear fuels fabricated by Orano in its Melox plant, powers one in 10 light bulbs. This figure will soon increase to 4 out of 10 light bulbs thanks to the potential of multi-recycling.

In accordance with the decisions of the French Nuclear Policy Council (CPN) in February 2024, and confirmed at subsequent CPN meetings, the Aval du Futur project set up to replace these facilities, has also been launched. This is one of the largest industrial undertakings to be launched in Europe. It involves the deployment of a major industrial project to build new plants at La Hague which will take over from the existing facilities. The first studies were started in 2024, preparing for the design and construction of the plants of tomorrow at Orano la Hague.