The reprocessing of nuclear fuels. Statement of a half-century

This paper describes the evolution of techniques and means developed during 50 years by the CEA for the reprocessing of spent fuels from nuclear reactors. The reprocessing has been always a priority for the CEA due to national military or energetic independence reasons and also because of the long-life radiotoxicity of wastes. Thus, the ''end of fuel cycle'' industry has developed rapidly to reach these different ambitious goals. In less than 9 years after the first laboratory experiments of plutonium extraction, the first French reprocessing factory, UP1, was begin and is still working today. Less than 8 years after, it was followed by the second UP2 factory. The UP3 (1990) and UP2-800 (1994) huge capacity factories of La Hague allow the reprocessing of about 80-90% of the worldwide ''light water'' fuel. This development has been followed by an important research and development effort to master the most advanced technologies. The CEA has gained a reliable experience in the reprocessing of various kind of fuels from graphite moderated to fast breeder and PWR reactors. The different fuel characteristics and the successive steps of the actual process used are also described: reception, storage, decladding, dissolution, clarifying, separation and purification, wastes and effluents treatment. (J.S.). 1 fig., 2 tabs., 6 photos