ASN Report 2020

∙ areas for the storage of uranium and thorium in various forms (BNIs 93, 178 and 179); ∙ the Atlas analysis laboratory (BNI 176); ∙ a Defence Basic Nuclear Installation (DBNI) which more particularly operates the radioactive substances storage areas, virtually all of which are for civil uses; ∙ the Socatri facility (BNI 138) which manages waste from the Tricastin site and carries out nuclear equipment maintenance and decommissioning. The TU5 facility and the Orano W plant – BNI 155 BNI 155, called TU5, can handle up to 2,000 tonnes (t) of uranium per year, enabling it to reprocess all the uranyl nitrate (UO 2 (NO 3 ) 2 ) produced by the Orano plant at La Hague, convert­ ing it into U 3 O 8 (a stable solid compound able to guarantee safer uranium storage conditions than in liquid or gaseous form). Once converted, the reprocessed uranium is placed in storage on the Tricastin site. The Orano uranium conversion plants – BNI 105 BNI 105, which notably transformed reprocessed uranyl nitrate into UF 4 or U 3 O 8 , is being decommissioned (see chapter 13). The Philippe Coste plant is located inside its perimeter and is devoted to the fluorination of UF 4 into UF 6 , to allow its subsequent enrichment in the Georges Besse II plant (GB II). Each year, it produces about 14,000 t of UF 6 from the UF 4 coming from the Orano facility in Malvési. It has ICPE status subject to authorisation with institutional controls (“Seveso” class installation) and is monitored by ASN accordingly. The Georges Besse II ultra-centrifuge enrichment plant – BNI 168 BNI 168, called Georges Besse II (GB II), for which creation was authorised in 2007, is a plant enriching uranium by means of gas ultra-centrifugation. This process involves injecting UF 6 into a cylindrical vessel rotating at very high speed. Under the centrifugal force, the heavier molecules (containing uranium-238) are separated from the lighter ones (containing uranium-235). By combining several centrifuges, creating a cascade, it is then possible to recover a stream enriched with fissile U-235 isotope and a depleted stream. GB II comprises two enrichment units (South and North units) and a support unit, the REC II. At the beginning of 2009, ASN authorised commissioning of the South unit, comprising eight modules, followed in 2013 by the North unit, comprising six modules, the first two of which are designed to enrich the uranium from spent fuel reprocessing. ASN authorised commissioning of the support unit in 2014. Enrichment of the uranium resulting from reprocessing, requiring prior authorisation from ASN, has not been implemented. The Atlas facility – BNI 176 The purpose of the Atlas facility is: ∙ to carry out industrial physico-chemical and radio-chemical analyses; ∙ to monitor liquid and atmospheric discharges and monitor the environment of the Tricastin facilities. The Atlas facility, which complies with the most recent safety requirements, is robust to external hazards. ASN authorised its commissioning on 7 March 2017. The Tricastin uranium storage facility – BNI 178 Following the delicensing of part of the Pierrelatte DBNI by decision of the Prime Minister, BNI 178 – or the Tricastin uranium storage facility – was created. This facility groups the uranium storage facilities and the platform’s new emergency management premises. ASN registered this facility in December 2016. The P35 facility – BNI 179 Following on from the delicensing process for the Pierrelatte DBNI by decision of the Prime Minister, BNI 179, known as “P35” was created. This facility comprises ten uranium storage buildings. ASN registered this facility in January 2018. Reprocessed uranium Spent MOX 110 t Plutonium Reprocessed uranium Fuel fabrication Enrichment 1st conversion Interim storage Spent MOX interim storage Extraction of ore Interim storage pending final disposal MOX fabrication Fission products Technological waste Depleted uranium Nuclear reactor Flows expressed in tonnes/year 7,500 t 940 t 10 t 1,000 t 120 t 1,000 t 120 t 1,000 t 8,500 t 2nd conversion Fuel cycle diagram 324 ASN Report on the state of nuclear safety and radiation protection in France in 2020 11 – “NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE” INSTALLATIONS