Orano White Papers

Reprocessing

Treatment of Off-Gases Arising from the Treatment of Advanced Reactor Used Nuclear Fuel March 2025
The objectives of the CAPTURE team are to develop treatment modules to process off-gases from advanced reactor UNF treatment facilities in an effective (meet regulatory limits), flexible (modular design), efficient (high availability and cost effective), and safe (e.g., minimization/elimination of hazardous treatment units) manner.

Vitrification of Fission Products Issued from Reprocessing Used Nuclear Fuel at Orano La Hague Plant - Lessons Learned March 2025
Contrary to the existing reactors, where waste management had to adapt to the fuels produced, successful new generation reactors will be, by design, the ones that benefit from successful used fuel planning and management.

Next Generation of Nuclear Fuel Reprocessing June 2024
Contrary to the existing reactors, where waste management had to adapt to the fuels produced, successful new generation reactors will be, by design, the ones that benefit from successful used fuel planning and management.

Potential Radioisotope-Element Harvesting from Recycling of Used Nuclear Fuel March 2024
Inclusion of advanced separations processes into new used nuclear fuel reprocessing facilities could benefit from a concerted effort to align and optimize recovery processes for the supply of select radioisotopes and stable isotopes/elements.

Why not MOX/TRU Instead of HALEU? March 2024
The case for the use of MOX/TRU fuels over HALEU fuels, at least in the nearer term, in advanced reactors until (if) HALEU becomes available in needed quantities and at reasonable costs.

Re-Use of Used MOX LWR Fuel June 2023
The proposed multi-recycling scheme enabled to recycle all fuel types would likely significantly reduce the uncertainty associated with the partial-recycling strategy, including addressing net plutonium production, onsite interim storage, waste volumes, fuel supply security, and positive social impact.

Transportation

Transportation & Disposal of Crystal River Unit 3 Reactor Segments and Large Cooling System Components March 2025
Orano successfully demonstrated the ability to plan and implement a unique reactor vessel segmentation strategy and to design, license, fabricate, load, and transport the Type B special packages necessary to achieve the full value of the Optimized Segmentation philosophy.

Licensing the High Burnup Research Cask Transportation Package – Lessons Learned March 2025
Orano implemented an innovative approach to satisfy the regulatory requirements and obtain the Certificate of Compliance to transport the High Burnup Research Cask (HBU).

Updates on Additive Manufacturing of Impact Limiters for Transportation Casks March 2025
Current commercial AM printers are not able to print full-scale impact limiters; hence, the impact limiters designed as part of this activity are made up of multiple AM printed components that are assembled into an overall impact limiter for use on transportation overpacks.

Full-Scale Dry Run to Prepare for Shipment of High Burnup Used Nuclear Fuel March 2024
The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) is considering shipment of a fully loaded dual-purpose cask containing thirty-two (32) high burnup (HBU) UNF assemblies in the next few years.

HALEU Supply Chain: Transport Packages March 2024
Orano has developed new packages and improved existing packages to fulfil the industry’s evolving needs and to transport the new fuel products being developed.

Operating Experience of Low-Level Waste Handling, Processing, Storage and Transportation Capabilities February 2023
The international advancement of technologies concerning dry storage systems for radioactive materials and the transport services for various radioactive materials will be discussed, including unique Low Level Waste packaging and transportation capabilities.

The New TN EAGLE Transport Cask February 2023
Using automated manufacturing and simplified advanced design, the TN Eagle represents a new portfolio of high-performance, highest safety level, cost-competitive dual-purpose casks for storage and transport of bare fuel and transport of welded canisters.

Storage

Aging Management Inspections of Dry Shielded Canisters and Horizontal Storage Modules March 2025
For the DSC, no aging related observations were seen on any of the DSCs in over twenty years of operations.

Decommissioning

Anemone Technology Developments and Latest Applications March 2025
As a universal recovery and sampling tool, the Anemone is a proven, innovative asset in a variety of nuclear, commercial, and federal applications.

Decontamination of Large Components for WCS Exempt Disposal March 2025
The cost savings reduction for disposal and transportation was 10-to-1 per shipment. The savings included the significant difference in per unit disposal pricing from Class A to Exempt waste, and the difference in packaging procurements from IP-2 to IP-1.

Diamond Wire Sawing - Using Innovative Technology and Techniques to Improve Reliability and Performance in Nuclear Decommissioning Projects March 2025
The capabilities of DWS have created cascading opportunities in terms of segmentation efficiency and packaging options.

Development of a Grout Formulation for the Immobilization of the CR3 Reactor Vessel and Internals March 2024
Through two years of design, testing, and qualification, Orano developed a unique grout formulation to immobilize the segmented Crystal River 3 structures inside the reactor vessel to create a solid monolith, and to secure the three segmented vessel sections inside the transportation packages.

Optimized Segmentation of the Crystal River Unit 3 Reactor Completed March 2024
With its first successful implementation at CR3 completed, Orano’s Optimized Segmentation strategy is now a fully demonstrated solution available to the industry.

Reactor D&D: Recent Achievements and Innovations in the U.S. August 2023
Building on proven technologies from past experience and extensive lessons learned, Orano continuously innovates to expand its toolbox and solutions offering to resolve the industry’s challenges with uncompromised safety performance and is ready to support the Fukushima Daiichi cleanup and dismantling efforts.

Enhanced Capabilities of the MANUELA 3D/ Rad Scanning Tool for Use at Nuclear Facilities March 2023
Based on user inputs from field applications, MANUELA developers have modified different aspects of the instrument including hardware and operating system programing as well as adding more powerful post-processing capabilities to the PoStLAM software.

The Time is Right for Another Round of LSDP Technology Demonstrations March 2023
The nuclear decommissioning industry could benefit greatly from a new round of LSDP initiatives to showcase the latest advances in the tools and technology focused on improved worker safety, improved efficiencies, and relevant waste minimization and volume reduction advancements.