AREVA la Hague: renewal of contract for used fuel management for a Belgian research reactor

The Belgian Nuclear Research Centre (SCK CEN) has extended AREVA’s contract to manage the used fuel from the BR2 research reactor, one of the most powerful in the world, located in Mol. The initial contract was signed in 1997.

This contract concerns the processing of used nuclear fuel from the reactor as well as related transport operations. The BR2 reactor is notably used to produce radioisotopes for medical use, test and modify the properties of materials for industrial use.

The fuel from BR2 will be processed at AREVA’s la Hague plant (Manche region) to reduce the volume and radiotoxicity of the residual waste. In accordance with French regulations and the intergovernmental agreement between Belgium and France, the waste from BR2 fuel processing will then be returned to Belgium.

“AREVA is proud of the renewal of trust expressed by the Belgian Nuclear Research Center. This contract rewards the expertise of la Hague plant’s teams and demonstrates the competitiveness of AREVA’s technologies for the management of specific used fuels” declared Dominique Mockly, Senior Executive Vice President, AREVA Back End Business Group.