Orano: Last Rail Shipment of Nuclear Waste Reaches Its Destination in Germany

20 Nov 2024 21:28 CET

Regulatory News:

The 13th and final rail shipment carrying vitrified high-level nuclear waste reached the site of the intermediate storage facility in Philippsburg, Germany, on 20 November at around 17:45. This transport settles all commitments relating to the contracts for the recycling of used fuel signed between Orano and German utilities, PreussenElektra, RWE, EnBW and Vattenfall, since 1977.

As stipulated in the agreement between the French and German governments and in accordance with the clauses provided for in the contracts between manufacturers, it was agreed in 2021 to apply the principle of equivalence in mass and radioactivity in the return of this waste issued from the processing of German used fuel as soon as possible.

The 2021 agreement had two components. One concerned the transfer of ownership of 24 French reconditioned heavy casks to German utilities. As requested by the German companies, these empty casks were shipped to a US metal recycling plant. The other concerned the return of high-activity vitrified residues to the Philippsburg storage site in Germany. This waste was transported in 4 casks approved by the French Nuclear Safety Authority (ASN) meeting international safety standards. The objective of this agreement was to respect the commitment made by all parties to have finalized all waste returns before the end of 2024.

Most of the radioactivity had previously been returned to Germany during prior shipments, between 1996 to 2011.

As a reminder, from 1977 to 1991, contracts for the treatment of used fuel were signed with the four German electricity utility companies for the recycling of fuel elements from German nuclear reactors as well as the conditioning of residual waste. 5,310 tonnes of fuel were thus processed by Orano.

About Orano
As a recognized international leading operator in the field of nuclear materials, Orano delivers solutions to address present and future global energy and health challenges. Its expertise and mastery of cutting-edge technologies enable Orano to offer its customers high value-added products and services throughout the entire fuel cycle. Every day, the Orano group’s 17,500 employees draw on their skills, unwavering dedication to safety and constant quest for innovation, with the commitment to develop know-how in the transformation and control of nuclear materials, for the climate and for a healthy and resource-efficient world, now and tomorrow.

Orano, giving nuclear energy its full value.

About Orano NPS
With over 60 years experience in nuclear packages, Orano NPS, a subsidiary of the Orano group, provides global logistics solutions to its customers throughout the world, ranging from the design of packages, together with their approval and manufacture, through to nuclear materials transport operations. Orano NPS carries out more than 6,000 transport operations each year worldwide, meeting the highest French and international safety standards.

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