Plutonium recycling and the MELOX fabrication plant

The French decision to turn to industrial plutonium recycling through MOX fuel was taken relatively recently, by the mid-1980s, when recycling of valuable materials emerged as a satisfactory back-end solution for the fuel cycle. The French strategy currently relies on an industrial structure comprising the COGEMA reprocessing plants at La Hague with a total capacity of over 1600 tHM, the existing MOX fabrication facilities at Dessel (BELGONUCLEAIRE PO Plant) and Cadarache (COGEMA Cadarache Plant) with a capacity reaching 65 tHM. In order to implement the French program of recycling plutonium through MOX fuel in 20 to 28 PWR reactor, and to serve foreign utilities as well, it was decided to create the Melox Company (50% Cogema, 50% Framatome), the goal of which is the construction and the operation of the Melox plant. This paper describes the main features of Melox design and presents current status of starting-up activities. (author)