Treatment activity:
During this period, the UP2 800 and UP3 plants treated 29 tons of spent fuel. From all treated assemblies, a total of 686 tons have been processed to date this year.
During this period, 22 canisters of vitrified fission products has been produced(1) in the vitrification facilities. Since the beginning of the year, 729 canisters have been produced.
The facility of hulls compaction (ACC) produced 23 canisters of compacted residues. Since the beginning of the year, 1029 canisters have been produced.
The actuality, it is also...
...4th MOX fuel treatment campaign(2)
The 4th MOX fuel treatment campaign began on September 25 and is scheduled to end during the first half of November.
Thanks to the experience gained from previous campaigns in 1992, 1998 and 2004, AREVA La Hague is now capable of treating a record 16.5 metric tons.
The 4th campaign confirms the AREVA La Hague plant’s ability to treat a variety of used fuels. The uranium and plutonium recovered after treatment can be recycled through a reactor for a third time to generate more electricity.
(1)The fission products (ultimate residues of spent fuel) are incorporated in heated glass to approximately 1100°C. The whole is poured in stainless steel containers. The fission products are an integral part of stable, compact and resistant glass. This process is called vitrification.
(2)MOX is a nuclear fuel comprising uranium oxide and the plutonium oxide recovered when used fuels are treated at La Hague