Pre-NRTA Systems: Opportunities and Challenges

The principle of verification of the accounting declarations of the ORANO SET GBII enrichment plant is based on a physical control of the uranium masses and isotopic contents, and by sampling on the incoming and outgoing containers of the installation stored on the park since the last routine inspection. An annual inventory of the installation completes this scheme. A computer network collects physical tracking data from the operator. These data are then processed by specific software developed by the European Commission Joint Research Centre of lspra. This software allows for monitoring of the operator's activities in connection with the collection of precise weighing data. Measurements from mass spectrometers allow determination of the ²³⁵U concentration within UF6 from cascades. Thanks to this acquisition network, verification of the monthly accounting declarations of the containers can be carried out on the basis of three components: precise weighing data from monitoring of the weighing station; on measurements from mass spectrometers; and on cross-checks between the isotopic contents and declared/calculated masses. The physical data are all available in the network database and, therefore, accessible for audit by EURATOM and IAEA inspectorates. The network therefore makes it possible to envisage changes in the practices of the current control approach, taking into account in particular the possibilities offered by computer analysis. To date, the EURATOM information system has been used successfully during the last four annual inventories. Its implementation during monthly inspections should allow greater reliability and greater flexibility for both inspectorates and the operator. At the ORANO reprocessing plant in La Hague, a data transmission system connecting to the Euratom review room in Luxembourg is being set up. The raw data, collected in real time, will then be developed and sent through VPN with a slight delay. The purpose of the presentation is to take stock of the opportunities that these pre-NRTA systems represent and the challenges that must be overcome, particularly in terms of data protection and cybersecurity. (author)