Why recycle nuclear fuel?

For more than 60 years, France has chosen to develop the recycling of nuclear materials to save uranium resources and reduce the volume and radiotoxicity of waste. Thanks to its La Hague and Melox plants, and its unique industrial experience, Orano is recognized as the international leader in this field.

Through processing and recycling, we recover valuable materials from used fuels which can be used to generate more low-carbon electricity.

Orano la Hague: the world’s first platform for recycling nuclear materials.

The Orano la Hague site carries out the first stage in the recycling of fuel from nuclear reactors. On arrival, it is removed from its transport package. It is then kept in a pool at La Hague for an average of seven years, under a nine-meter water column, so that its temperature drops and radioactivity decreases naturally. The fuel is then cut into small sections before being immersed in a nitric acid solution that dissolves the nuclear material. A chemical workshop separates the recyclable materials from the final, non-usable waste. At the end of these operations, 96% of the material can be reused. Plutonium and uranium are separated and purified in turn.

of the materials
contained in spent
fuel (95% uranium
and 1% plutonium)
are reusable

We produce a new source of energy, known as MOX, by recycling fuel.

Orano Melox: a global industrial benchmark for the fabrication of MOX recycled nuclear fuel.

At the Orano Melox site, plutonium is mixed with depleted uranium to produce a new fuel known as MOX (mixed-oxide fuel).

One MOX fuel assembly generates enough electricity or a city of 100,000 people for a whole year.

In France, around 10% of the country’s nuclear electricity is generated from MOX fuel each year.

At the Orano Melox site, plutonium is mixed
with depleted uranium to produce a new fuel
known as MOX (mixed-oxide fuel).

We can increase the amount of electricity generated from recycled materials

This figure could rise to 40% thanks to MOX 2, a new type of fuel fabricated from the multi-recycling of nuclear fuels. It could be used in pressurized water reactors and in a new generation of fast neutron reactors.

In France, up to 25% of nuclear electricity could be generated from the recycling of nuclear materials.

We preserve natural uranium resources by reusing uranium extracted from spent fuel.

95% of the uranium contained in spent fuel is transformed into reprocessed uranium (RPU) with characteristics comparable to natural uranium. It has be enriched again to be used in the fabrication of fuels. RPU acts as a strategic reserve for uranium supply, and has very high energy potential (the equivalent of 340 million metric tons of oil).

Recycling saves up to 25% of natural uranium resources.

We condition and store final waste so that it remains safe and stable over the very long term.

Final waste (fission products), which accounts for 4% of the materials contained in spent fuel, is calcined and then mixed with molten glass and poured into stainless steel containers. This form of packaging is certified by ten nuclear safety authorities worldwide. French final waste is 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. Foreign waste is returned to its country of origin as stipulated under French law.

Less than 200 m³ of high-level radioactive waste is produced each year.