French private nuclear fuel cycle industries

The leading role of CEA and to the no less important function of EdF often create the appearance as if the government were the sole decisive factor in French nuclear industry. However, aside from Framatome's position as reactor builder, French private industry contributes a large and important share to activities in the nuclear fuel cycle. The experience accumulated by various industrial groups in the fields of geology, chemistry and metallurgy has proved to be absolutely essential for the buildup of a nuclear industry covering all phases of the nuclear fuel cycle, from uranium ore to recycling into that cycle of the reprocessed fissile material. (orig.)