RHONE-ALPES Purpose: production of electricityInstallations: Cruas 1, 2, 3, 4Type: pressurized water reactors (CP2)Location: between Cruas and Meysse (Ardèche) on the Rhône north of MontélimarOperator: Electricité de FrancePeriod of operation: since 1983 (reactors went critical in 1983, 1984, 1984, 1984 respectively)Fuel: low-enriched uranium oxideNuclear materials: uranium, plutonium, tritiumNominal capacity: 3660 MW electric net (915 MW each)Actual production: total at the end of 2000, 364.5 TWh net (93.1, 90.2, 92.0, 89.2 TWh respectively) Cruas is the first, and up until now, the only French power plant to use PWR fuel made of enriched, reprocessed uranium (URE). At the end of 2000, 210 t of URE in total had been loaded into Cruas reactors 3 and 4. The loading of URE began in 1994 in reactor 4, with an enrichment of 3.5% (equivalent to 3.25% for a classic U02 fuel) and a burnup of 40 GWd/t. Since 1999, reactors 3 and 4 have been loaded with URE at 3.95% (equivalent to 3.7% for a classic fuel) with a burnup of 45 GWd/t. A load URE in reactor 3 or 4 of Cruas corresponds to 20 t of fuel [Coeytaux 01]. The reactors are also adapted to Mox at the technical level, but the use of Mox would require going through a new authorization procedure. |