AREVA and its Japanese partner Kobe Steel deliver the first dry storage casks for spent fuels of Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant

TransNuclear Ltd., a joint-venture between AREVA and Kobe Steel Ltd., has just delivered to Tokyo Electric Power Co., Ltd (TEPCO) the first three metallic casks for the dry storage of spent fuels stored in the common pool of Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant.

TEPCO plans to transfer the spent fuels currently stored in the spent fuel pools of damaged units 1 to 4 to the common pool which did not suffer damages after March 11^th events. This transfer will be made possible thanks to the loading of a number of spent fuels from the common pool into the dry storage casks delivered by TransNuclear Ltd. These casks will then be stored by TEPCO in the cask temporary storage facilities under construction on the site of Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant.

The order from TEPCO consists of 11 casks in which a total of 452 spent fuels can be stored. Eight other casks will be delivered to TEPCO in the coming weeks. These deliveries are an important step in the decommissioning process of the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant.

These casks can withstand major natural disasters as proven by the nine similar casks used by TEPCO on the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant site at the time of the March 11^th events. This is a new illustration of the very high safety level of the solutions proposed by AREVA to its customers.

With an experience of nearly 50 years, AREVA provides high-performance solutions for interim storage of nuclear materials while guaranteeing the highest level of safety. AREVA is the worldwide reference and the leader of the interim storage market.

About TransNuclear Tokyo Ltd.:
TransNuclear Tokyo Ltd., a joint venture between TN International (AREVA) and Kobe Steel Ltd., is specialized in the supply of casks and transport services for nuclear material and has become a reference in Japan for spent fuel transport and interim storage.

About Kobe Steel Ltd.:
The Kobe Steel Group is one of Japan’s leading manufacturers of materials and machinery. Its machinery businesses include industrial and construction machinery, engineering and environmental solutions. Kobe Steel is putting its manufacturing expertise to work in the nuclear power field by developing “Only One” high-end, original products that make a positive contribution to global society.