RHONE-ALPES

V. i i.   Société d’Enrichissement de Tricastin (SET; Areva 90%, Suez 5%, Kansai and Sojitz Corp. 2.5%, Korea Hydro and Nuclear Power [KHNP] 2.5%)

Georges Besse II—under construction

Purpose/type:  civilian plant to enrich uranium

Location:  Bollène (Vaucluse), Pierrelatte and Saint-Paul-Trois-Châteaux (Drôme)

Period of operation:  [estimated start-up in 2009]

Process:  centrifugation

Nuclear materials:  natural uranium and uranium retrieved from reprocessing

Nominal capacity:  7.5 million separation units (SWU)/year (maximal capacity, 8.2 million SWU/year)

Georges Besse II, as authorized by decree 2007-631, is to be comprised of two modular units, one on the southern end of the site, in Bollène, and the other on the northern end of the site, in Pierrelatte and Saint-Paul-Trois-Châteaux, i.e. the two modular units are to be constructed on either side of the Eurodif gaseous diffusion plant.   It will also include two support units:  a Reception, Expedition, Control workshop (REC II) and a laboratory for analyses.  The following ICPs will be within the perimeter of the installation: three cooling towers, ten transformers, a refrigeration unit, and an installation to produce compressed air [JO 29.iv.07].  

Eurodif Production, Areva NC, and the Société auxiliaire du Tricastin (Socatri) will perform certain functions such as receiving, controlling, analyzing, transferring, and storing containers of UF6; treating used water; sorting and packaging solid waste; treating and releasing liquid effluents; decontaminating and maintaining equipment; and analyzing effluents.  Agreements on the terms of these services will be negotiated by the parties involved [JO 29.iv.07].

SET may eventually seek authorization to build a third unit on the eastern side of the site, where support facilities for Eurodif are now located [NucF 2.xxvi.07].

When the plant, as now authorized, is complete, it will have some 100 cascades, each composed of more than 1000 centrifuges [NucF 17.vii.06].  The first modules of unit one to be constructed will be equipped with Urenco’s current generation of TC-12 machines rather than with the taller, more efficient TC-21 machines that Urenco is developing.  The building will be designed to hold the TC-21 machines, but Areva wants to begin with a thoroughly proven technology [NucF 17.vii.06].

No more than 6000 metric t of UF6 can be present in the installation at one time.  A total of 2000 t of UF6 will be held up in the cascades when they are all in operation [NucF 17.vii.06].

Recycled uranium entering the installation as a result of reprocessing (REP) can be no more than 1.2% uranium 235.  Other UF6 entering the installation can be no more than 0.71% uranium 235.  Uranium can be enriched to no higher than 6.0% uranium 235, and the uranium present in the installation can have no higher level of enrichment.  Enrichment of REP can take place only in the northern unit [JO 29.iv.07, p. 3].

Radioactive material must be introduced into unit one four years from the date of publication of the authorizing decree, i.e.by 29 Avril 2011; and into unit two within the following three years, i.e. by 29 April 2014 .

As is standard practice for INBs, SET must re-examine and report on the safety of the installation every ten years [JO 29.iv.07].

The Society d’Enrichissement de Tricastin (SET), a subsidiary of Areva NC, is responsible for building the plant, operating it, and marketing the enriched uranium that it produces.  SET began site preparation for unit one in 2006 and received the authorization to construct and operate the INB 27 April 2007. A subsidiary of the Enrichment Technology Company Ltd. (ETC; 50% Areva, 50% Urenco), Enrichment Technology France, will install and start the centrifuge units, using Urenco technology) [NucF 17.vii.06, p. 4]. The company estimates that the southern unit will begin limited production of some 300,000 SWU/year in 2009 and will be completed in 2014.  The second unit was originally intended to be constructed between 2013 and 2018, when the plant is scheduled to reach its nominal capacity of 7.5 million SWU [NucF 17.vii.06].  However, in December 2008 Areva decided to begin construction on the second unit within a few weeks of December 11, 2008.  The new planned completion date is 2016 [Echo 11.xii.08] .

As of mid-December 2008, construction of unit one was proceeding as planned in regard to both budget and timetable.  Tests of the first centrifuges were underway, and the unit was expected to produce enriched uranium by the summer of 2009 [Echo 11.xii.08].

By Decision no. 2009-DC-0130, dated January 29, 2009, ASN authorized the entry into service of the southern unit of Georges Besse II.

The first centrifuge cascade was officially inaugurated in May 2009, and testing of the cascade began in December 2009.  As of 10 December 2009, the cascade was expected to begin enriching uranium before the end of the year [WNN 10.xii.09].

Georges Besse II will use 75 MW of electricity and 40,000 cubic meters of groundwater per year [NucF 17.vii.06].

                                                                                   --revised December 10, 2009

          Copyright © 2008-2009  by EcoPerspectives

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