ADVERTORIAL | ORANO
Generating Value Throughout Nuclear Energy’s Entire Fuel Cycle
TO ACHIEVE NET-ZERO EMISSIONS, the energy generation sector must invest in cleaner and more sustainable production technologies ensuring supply security. One of the cleanest, most efficient, sustainable, and proven electricity sources is nuclear energy. That is why nuclear energy is seen by a growing number of countries as playing a key role in reaching their net-zero energy mix goals for electricity production including hydrogen as well as producing useful heat for industrial processes, and district heating. As such, recent developments in the nuclear industry include operating lifetime extensions and power upgrades of existing large reactors and significant efforts to launch the next generation of small modular reactors and advanced reactors. However, nuclear energy requires a sustainable, accessible, robust nuclear fuel cycle to support it. Orano, as a major industrial player throughout the nuclear fuel cycle, brings efficient solutions to advance and sustain this developing nuclear energy momentum. On the front end of the nuclear fuel cycle, Orano offers
customers long-term contracts with separate or combined components:
Mining: For certainty of supply, Orano maintains robust and geographically diversified uranium mining assets. To meet the increasing natural uranium demands in the coming years, Orano will leverage its proven experience and technologies in new promising territories (Uzbekistan, Mongolia), while keeping its strong commitment to be a responsible mining player.
Conversion services: Orano operates the world’s most modern conversion plant commissioned in 2018 and constructed to the latest safety standards to ensure a high level of reliability and on-time delivery.
Enrichment services: Orano’s enrichment facility, renewed in 2011, with a future capacity extension (+30%), offers a flexible range of enrichment assays. The next challenge is producing the various levels and forms of enriched uranium to supply future reactor technologies. Orano, leveraging its cumulative existing production know-how,
Right: Orano La Hague reprocessing plant Photo credit: Orano, CRESPEAU CYRIL
is ready to invest in these capabilities if secured by long- term commitments from customers or stakeholders.
Regarding the back end of the fuel cycle, Orano
meets customer needs across all aspects of used fuel management, including engineering, storage and transport, recycling schemes, up to waste disposal.
Waste management: Orano’s engineering and decommissioning teams support industrial technologies at all stages of used fuel and radioactive waste management, up to the disposal of final waste forms.
Storage and Transport: Orano provides storage solutions for all kinds of used nuclear fuel secured with wet or dry technologies. In addition, Orano has demonstrated international experience and extensive capabilities of transporting for the whole nuclear cycle.
Reprocessing/recycling: with decades of operation of La Hague industrial platform, Orano provides used fuel reprocessing services separating recyclable uranium and plutonium from the final waste material. The plutonium is reused to manufacture Mixed Oxide Fuel in Orano’s plant, Melox, for operation in nuclear reactors. The resulting much lower volume of safe and stable vitrified waste form is easily managed and stored over a very long-term pending its disposal. These services implemented for utilities worldwide contribute to the circular economy, preserve natural resources, and provide viable solutions for used fuel and final waste management.
With its modern front-end facilities, its significant industrial experience in used fuel management, and its continuing development of innovative industry services, Orano fulfills customer needs throughout the entire fuel cycle. The group is sustaining existing nuclear reactors, and is already actively engaged in the developing market of next-generation nuclear. ■ Visit our website:
www.orano.group
30 | WNE Special Edition |
www.neimagazine.com
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