AREVA and JNFL strengthen their partnership on spent fuel recycling

9/24/2007
Press release
On September 22nd, Anne Lauvergeon, CEO of AREVA, and Isami Kojima, President of JNFL, signed a Global Partnership Agreement extending their groups' collaboration in nuclear fuel recycling. This document covers two major fields of cooperation: 
- firstly, both companies will further strengthen the industrial effectiveness of their sister plants (AREVA La Hague and JNFL Rokkasho facilities), including the creation of a “joint team” dedicated to optimizing common technical issues; 
- secondly, both companies will make efforts jointly to promote recycling activities on the international scene such as Global Nuclear Energy Partnership (GNEP).

This partnership relies on the long-term relationship that was established by AREVA and JNFL in 1987, when JNFL chose the treatment plant of la Hague as a basis for the design of the Rokkasho Reprocessing Plant.

At a time when the “renaissance” of nuclear energy creates a renewed interest for recycling, AREVA and JNFL's joint expertise will be an asset for shaping the future path of recycling industry's commercial development. In that respect, AREVA and JNFL are working together to answer the US-DOE request for conceptual design studies on the Consolidated Fuel Treatment Center (CFTC)*.

On the outcome of her meeting with Isami Kojima, Anne Lauvergeon said: “recycling is clearly a key avenue for the future of nuclear power. AREVA and JNFL have been committed to the industrial implementation of the French and Japanese closed fuel cycle policy for several years.”
“We are happy to reinforce our historic partnership, which has proven to be fully successful, and work together to establish the highest reference for the nuclear back-end industry” Mr Kojima added.

*This international treatment facility will be built in the framework of the Global Nuclear Energy Partnership.

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