Nuclear power service and engineering firm Orano said Thursday it had signed a contract for an important volume of business with the JAEA1 (Japan Atomic Energy Agency) regarding the preparation of shipments to France of 731 used fuel assemblies from the Fugen reactor in Japan.
The announcement was made Nov. 15. Orano said it signed the contract "in late October."
Orano will conduct all the technical preparatory works for the future shipments of 111 tonnes of nuclear materials planned to be carried out between 2023 and 2026, including the design and manufacturing of a fleet of transport casks which will meet national and international nuclear safety and security regulations.
The contract also envisages studies to be carried out prior to the acceptance and recycling operations for the used fuel at the la Hague plant.
"The signature of this major contract confirms that our customers are choosing nuclear recycling as a responsible and efficient solution for managing their used fuel. It consolidates the international dimension of our industrial platform in France," said Pascal Aubret, Executive Vice President of Orano's Recycling Business Unit.
"The choice that the JAEA has made further strengthens the long-term relationship that we have with our Japanese partners," said Frédéric de Agostini, Senior Executive Vice President of the Nuclear Packaging and Services Business Unit, responsible for logistics operations.