Abstracts and Available Papers Presented at the
1996 International RERTR Meeting

RERTR PROGRAMME
FRENCH SITUATION IN 1996

J. Guidez - A. Ballagny

CEA
France


ABSTRACT

This paper summarizes the status of the RERTR Programme in France in 1996. The reactors which are affected by the RERTR Programme are those that consume a considerable amount of fuel. These are the neutron beam reactors Orphee (at Saclay) and RHF (at Grenoble) and the irradiation reactors Osiris (at Saclay) and Siloe (at Grenoble). Plans to construct a new 100 MW, multi-purpose MTR reactor using LEU fuel at the Atomic Research Center at Cadarache are described.

Two main topics of fuel research and development are summarized: (1) improving knowledge on the reference silicide fuel, including optimization of the manufacturing process, thermal properties, behavior with cladding failure, etc., and (2) research into low-enriched uranium fuel with a higher U-235 content in order to limit fuel assembly consumption and to improve performance levels. Tests planned in the research and development programme for the silicide fuel are tabulated.

The fuel cycle option adopted by the CEA to get rid of spent fuel elements is reprocessing. The "Caramel" fuel elements consumed in the Osiris reactor until 1995 are currently being reprocessed in CEA facilities at Marcoule. The UAl and UAlx fuel elements irradiated in Siloe and Orphee are currently being reprocessed in the Cogema facilities at Marcoule (Plant UP1). However, the U3Si2 fuel elements irradiated in the Osiris reactor since 1995 will be progressively sent to interim storage dry facilities located at Cadarache.

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