Nuclear. Towards the construction in France of a reprocessed uranium conversion plant?

The government is “seriously” examining the option of building a reprocessing uranium conversion and enrichment site “in France” while until now Russia is the only country in the world to have a plant to convert this recycled uranium intended to be integrated into nuclear power plants.

“The option of carrying out an industrial project for the conversion of reprocessed uranium (or recycled, editor’s note) in France is being seriously examined, under the aegis of the nuclear policy council”, indicated Thursday evening the ministry delegated to Industry and Energy.

Dependence on Russian Rosatom

The ministry confirmed statements to the newspaper Le Monde in an article devoted to France’s trade with the Russian nuclear industry, a sector which, unlike oil, still escapes international sanctions imposed after the invasion of Ukraine. “The associated conditions are still under study,” the ministry said.

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 highlighted for France and other countries like the United States the need to depend less on the Russian juggernaut Rosatom for the fuel cycle of nuclear power plants.

In this case, to convert its reprocessed uranium (URT), France has no other option than to carry out this step in Russia, the only country to have, via its public operator Rosatom, a conversion plant. for this URT. The next stage of enrichment can be carried out in Russia or the Netherlands.

The environmental NGO Greenpeace has denounced in recent months the continuation of uranium deliveries between Russia and France, in particular for the benefit of EDF, the operator of French power plants, despite the war.

EDF bound by a contract

EDF is in fact linked to a contract concluded in 2018 with Tenex, a subsidiary of Rosatom, to recycle and enrich uranium from the reprocessing of spent fuel from the French group. EDF has always argued that it respected its “contractual commitments” with Tenex by “strictly applying all international sanctions” and trade restrictions vis-à-vis Russia.

Asked about this contract, during a congress of the French nuclear energy company (SFEN), Thursday, Jean-Michel Quilichini, director of the nuclear fuel division at EDF, explained to Le Monde that EDF would continue to “honor the CONTRACT “. The option of building an enrichment and conversion site for recycled uranium had already been mentioned by the government in November in its “French strategy for energy and climate” (SFEC) document, in which it spoke of the implementation of “a European industrial sector”.