On Thursday, September 28, 2006, AREVA signed an agreement with Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Ltd. (MHI) to supply MOX fuel to the Genkai nuclear power plant operated by the Japanese electric power company KYUSHU EPCO*.
The fuel will be fabricated at the MELOX plant in southern France (Gard Department). The plutonium from the treatment of KYUSHU’s used fuel at the AREVA’s La Hague plant will be completely recycled in this manner and sent back to Japan as MOX.
The agreement confirms Japanese utility confidence in AREVA group technology and know-how. It comes within the restart of the Japanese utilities’ recycling program following the signature of an agreement with another Japanese electric power company last March. This commercial success confirms AREVA’s position as the world’s leading manufacturer of MOX.
Since 1995, MELOX has been fabricating MOX fuel assemblies for nuclear power plants in various countries, including France, Germany, Switzerland and Japan. Made with a mixture of uranium and plutonium oxides, MOX fuel recycles plutonium recovered from used fuel. With more than 1,000 metric tons of heavy metal produced to date, MELOX is the world’s leading producer of MOX fuel.
* via the Commox Intercompany venture created between AREVA NC (60%) and Belgonucléaire (40%). MHI is the fuel vendor selected by the electric power company for this contract.
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