Second transport of metallic compacted waste from France to the Netherlands

Press release

BACK END / TRANSPORT

October 05, 2009

A cask containing compacted metallic waste* will be shipped today from the TN International’s railway terminal in Valognes (France) to the COVRA storage facility near Borssele (Netherlands).

In accordance with commercial contracts signed between EPZ and AREVA and to the intergovernmental agreements between France and the Netherlands, part of Borssele‘s nuclear used fuel has been sent to France for recycling. Metallic compacted waste is the result of the nuclear reprocessing process. Its return shipment to the Netherlands is dictated by these intergovernmental agreements and French law.

The transport cask used to transport the metallic compacted waste fully complies with the very strict regulatory criteria defined by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). Nuclear material transportation is also regulated and overseen by national and international authority agencies in order to guarantee a high level of safety and security.

* The used fuel metallic structures received at AREVA La Hague plant are cut and compacted to reduce their volume by 5. These compacted wastes are then placed into steel containers.