MOX fuel fabrication and its external communication in France Roland JACQUET, Director of the MELOX plant
MOX fuel fabrication
Nuclear material recycling solution > Recycling plutonium as MOX fuel permits to : Produce electricity by consuming fissile material with very high energy potential, allowing substantial savings of natural uranium and oil resources Each year, 3000 tons of natural uranium, almost 10% of global consumption is economized Reduce the nuclear waste volume and toxicity 5 times less waste volume 10 times less waste toxicity Contribute to plutonium non-proliferation Reduce the inventory of excess weapons-grade plutonium >MOX seminar in Japan - February 2002 > Titre de la présentation - Date - Références - 3 3
Reactor cores loaded with MOX fuel (LWR) in Europe Unterweser Brokdorf Tihange 2 Grohnde Doel 3 Grafenrheinfeld Gravelines Dampierre B1 B2 B3 B4 1 2 3 4 2 10 2 Obrigheim Philippsburg Chinon B4 B3 B2 B1 2 Isar Saint-Laurent B1 B2 Le Blayais 1 2 20 3 B C Gundremmingen II 2 Neckar Tricastin 1 2 3 4 1 2 Beznau Gosgen PWR BWR 35 moxified reactors in Europe >MOX seminar in Japan - February 2002 > Titre de la présentation - Date - Références - 4 4
Cumulative production of MOX fuel pellets in tons of heavy metal (thm) Cumulative production of MOX fuel pellets (thm) 1500 1000 500 MELOX CADARACHE 555,2 thm 286,5 thm 497,7 thm 0 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 COGEMA 63% BELGONUCLEAIRE 37% > Over 1 339 thm of MOX fuel pellets produced by the end of 2001 >MOX seminar in Japan - February 2002 > Titre de la présentation - Date - Références - 5 5
MOX fuel assemblies delivered by country GERMANY 860 assemblies 58% 30% FRANCE 1648 assemblies 3% 2% 7% JAPAN 60 assemblies SWITZERLAND 184 assemblies BELGIUM 120 assemblies > 2 872 MOX fuel assemblies delivered to customers by the end of 2001 >MOX seminar in Japan - February 2002 > Titre de la présentation - Date - Références - 6 6
The MELOX plant
The MELOX plant - Marcoule - France >MOX seminar in Japan - February 2002 > Titre de la présentation - Date - Références - 8 8
The MELOX plant : key dates > 1985 : Official agreement between the French Utility, COGEMA and FRAMATOME in order to build a new high-scale MOX production plant > 1990 : Creation of the MELOX Basic Nuclear Facility > 1993 : Construction and inactive tests then UO 2 powder tests > 1995 : Start up of MELOX plant after a progressive introduction of Pu in the production building > 1997 : First year of production at the authorized level : 100 thm > 1999 : Beginning of the Japanese MOX fuel fabrication > 2000 : One thousandth assembly fabricated > 2001 : First BWR fabrication >MOX seminar in Japan - February 2002 > Titre de la présentation - Date - Références - 9 9
The MOX fabrication at MELOX plant > The MELOX plant with its advanced and automatized design is adapted to the market requirements (PWR and BWR MOX fuel) > From 1997, MELOX produces one PWR (900 MWe) assembly per day, which means 264 rods and 100,000 pellets > The highest MELOX plant output reached 19.7 tons of pellets in 4 weeks (March 1998 ) >MOX seminar in Japan - February 2002 > Titre de la présentation - Date - Références - 10 10
The MELOX Total Quality approach > The MELOX ambition Continuous progress to serve customers Employee encouragement to participate Permanent concern for successful environmental integration ISO 9002 certification Management by objectives generalisation Languedoc-Roussillon Quality Award Generalised process approach French Quality Award Quality plans per activity Production line qualification for the 1st customer (EDF) Start-up of work groups 1st transversal projects Unique Quality Management manual 1st EFQM evaluation Employee suggestion system ISO 14001 certification >MOX seminar in Japan - February 2002 > Titre de la présentation - Date - Références - 11 11
The plant safety > A static containment system with 3 barriers, backed up by a dynamic system of depression which permits to avoid dispersion of nuclear materials > The high plant automation permits to limit the external exposure risk >MOX seminar in Japan - February 2002 > Titre de la présentation - Date - Références - 12 12
MELOX personnel dosimetry in 2000 > 93% of MELOX employees have an annual dose < 5 msv 2000 regulation limit of exposure : 50 msv per year CIPR 60 regulation limit of exposure : 20 msv per year > The low personnel exposure level is ensured by : Process automation Equipment reliability (minimizing the frequency and duration of maintenance operations) Optimized glove box design >MOX seminar in Japan - February 2002 > Titre de la présentation - Date - Références - 13 13
Environmental impact of the MELOX plant > Radioactive release from MELOX has a negligible impact on health and on the environment MELOX release impact, at authorized limits Impact des rejets de MELOX, aux limites des Natural autorisations radiation Limit Limite of old regulation ancienne réglementation 5 msv msv To compare... Radioactivité Natural naturelle radiation 2,4 2,4 msv Limite Limit nouvelle of new regulation réglementation 1 msv 1 msv 0 1 2 3 4 5 Irradiation from a Paris / New York flight 0,02 msv Irradiation from a lung Xray 0,3 msv MELOX impact Impact MELOX (msv) (en msv) Natural radiation in France (national average) Catégories du groupe de référence Adulte Adolescent Enfant de moins d'un an 0,0005 0,0017 0,0012 2,4 msv >MOX seminar in Japan - February 2002 > Titre de la présentation - Date - Références - 14 14
Public s information on MOX fuel fabrication in France
Regulatory framework of the public information > Public enquiry Big creation or equipment projects (highways, railways ) Prefecture of the concerned Department Gathering of questions and points of view of the local population > Local Information Commission Structure created by the Government Composition : local councillors, associations, trade-union organizations etc Annual meeting for operator report s presentation, periodical theme meetings Guided tours of the plant Publication of an information letter CLI guided tour, May 2001 >MOX seminar in Japan - February 2002 > Titre de la présentation - Date - Références - 16 16
Information s actions leaded by COGEMA - MELOX > Information and transparency mission Supervision of the environmental impact Monthly circulation of the radioactivity measurements results on the environment near the Marcoule nuclear site (MELOX location) - 38000 analysis from 650 points up noticed on water, air and vegetable samples - Under the «OPRI» control (Health Ministry) Annual publishing of the Environmental Report Incidents Press release to the local media and to the Local Information Commission (from the level 1 on INES scale ) Press release goes on line on COGEMA website and Nuclear Safety Authority website >MOX seminar in Japan - February 2002 > Titre de la présentation - Date - Références - 17 17
Information s actions leaded by COGEMA - MELOX > Information and transparency mission Regular meetings between Direction staff and local councillors Circulation of publications to the local opinion relays ( 1500) Regular meetings with the local journalists and press conference for important events Introduction of the MELOX plant on COGEMA website Webcams and virtual tour of the plant Current events of the plant Guided tours of the plant for families of MELOX employees and local councillors >MOX seminar in Japan - February 2002 > Titre de la présentation - Date - Références - 18 18
Information s actions leaded by COGEMA - MELOX > Involvement in the local community s life Contribution in exhibitions and local events Sponsorship of local initiatives (youth, cultural heritage, sport...) Management participation in local professional organizations (Environment, Quality, Management ) >MOX seminar in Japan - February 2002 > Titre de la présentation - Date - Références - 19 19