Areva gives details of EPZ contract

The used fuel covered by a contract Areva signed last month with Dutch utility EPZ, to supply three "next-generation" TN 17 MAX casks, contains 96% of valuable energy materials that can be recycled through treatment-recycling operations, Areva spokesperson Caroline Sagne told World Nuclear News today.

The 4% of ultimate radioactive waste will be vitrified for safe and stable packaging before being returned to the Netherlands. The metallic structure of used fuel will be compacted, and then also packaged following the same process, Sagne said.

The French engineering company said on 8 October that the contract is part of an EPZ agreement for used fuel recycling, signed by the two companies in 2011, and which covers most notably the transportation of nuclear materials.

The TN 17 MAX casks are made of special steel and are specifically designed for the transportation of used nuclear fuel. They offer utilities "high performance levels and considerable flexibility" in terms of logistics, Areva said.

The casks will ensure the transportation of used fuel from the EPZ Borssele power plant until the year 2036.

The used fuel will be transported to Areva's La Hague facility where it will be treated before recycling, Sagne said. "This transport operates following the intergovernmental agreement signed between France and the Netherlands,"she said.

The TN 17 MAX cask design is "next generation" as it “complies with the highest safety standards based on the latest version of IAEA's regulations," she said. "Among other technical improvements, it guarantees a multiple leak-tight barrier in order to protect people and the environment in all circumstances, meaning under normal operating conditions or in situations resulting from a transport accident."

Each cask is 7 metres long and has a diameter of 2 metres.

For commercial confidentiality reasons, Sagne would not disclose how much used fuel will be transported by 2036, nor the value of the contract.

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by World Nuclear News