1. AREVA transports research reactor spent fuel (RRSF) to its La Hague reprocessing plant in dedicated casks. 2. At La Hague, the RRSF is reprocessed through dissolution and separation processes to recover valuable materials and produce standardized final waste packages. 3. AREVA has reprocessed over 150 shipments of RRSF from over 20 reactors in 11 countries, totaling over 7 tons, gaining extensive experience in RRSF management.

1. OVERVIEW ON RRSF REPROCESSING
FROM SPENT FUEL TRANSPORTATION TO
VITRIFIED RESIDUES STORAGE
RERTR-2015
October 11-14, 2015 – Seoul, Korea
J.F.Valery(1), X.Domingo(1), P.Landau(1), M.Launey(2),
P.Deschamps(2), C.Pechard(2), V.Laloy(3), M.Kalifa(3)
(1)AREVA NC, Paris, France
(2)AREVA NC La Hague, Beaumont-Hague, France
(3)AREVA TN, Montigny-le-Bretonneux, France

2. AREVA - Overview on RRSF Reprocessing, Transportation, Waste management – RERTR-2015, Seoul, Korea p.2
Thank you!
Global survey on Research Reactors needs
In 2015, AREVA conducted a survey on RR needs
New RR projects
Fuel Supply
Updgrade / Modernization
Operational Services
SF and nuclear material management
D&D
More than 50 interviews, in 19 countries
Output - todays’ drivers of RR operators needs
Each RR is an unique installation: tailor-made solutions to be created to cover
their expectations
Very valuable knowledge and competences are available in the RR community
worldwide: leverage these assets through partnerships
Focus on RR Back-End management: SF management and D&D

3. Global context on RRSF management
Special attention on RRSF management from Safety Authorities
After Fukushima event, increasing attention on SF management plans
In case of lifetime extension: sustainable SF management strategy required by SA
Global Threat Reduction Initiative is to end in 2016
Take-back policy no longer available
Research Reactors are to plan long-term strategy for Spent Fuel management
Identification of final waste management according to Spent Fuel
management options and Research Reactors D&D
How to address these Back-End challenges?
AREVA - Overview on RRSF Reprocessing, Transportation, Waste management – RERTR-2015, Seoul, Korea p.3

4. RR SF AREVA reprocessing
Overall scheme
Non-proliferation,
Final waste management optimization,
Sustainability
AREVA - Overview on RRSF Reprocessing, Transportation, Waste management – RERTR-2015, Seoul, Korea p.4

5. AREVA RRSF reprocessing experience
Several types of RRSF have been reprocessed in France
With enrichment up to 93% 235U
Starting at Marcoule plant
18 tons of RRSF
from 21 reactors, 11 countries
Since 2005, at La Hague plant
150+ cask received, 5250+ fuel assemblies
7 tons+ of UAl fuel have been already reprocessed
including Belgian, Australian origin
AREVA has acquired a wide experience in RRSF reprocessing
AREVA - Overview on RRSF Reprocessing, Transportation, Waste management – RERTR-2015, Seoul, Korea p.5

6. Summary
1. AREVA transportation of RRSF to La Hague
2. AREVA La Hague reprocessing
3. Valuable material and final waste management
4. RRSF management timeline
5. Take-away
AREVA - Overview on RRSF Reprocessing, Transportation, Waste management – RERTR-2015, Seoul, Korea p.6

7. AREVA developed dedicated casks for transportation
Flexible
Used/Spent fuel from/to Reactors site
Nuclear Material from/to Laboratories
Feasibility studies
Transportations project performance
Engineering services
On-site technical assistance
TN MTR
TN 106
Transport of spent fuel
Handling and transport of nuclear material and fuel
TN 106TN LC AREVA carries out
more than 100 SSF transports annually
TN 81
AREVA - Overview on RRSF Reprocessing, Transportation, Waste management – RERTR-2015, Seoul, Korea p.7

8. TN-MTR cask loading at RR site
Loading of TN-MTR cask at RR site © SCK•CEN
Last transportation:
BR2-LH on July 9th, 2015
AREVA - Overview on RRSF Reprocessing, Transportation, Waste management – RERTR-2015, Seoul, Korea p.8

9. TN-MTR cask unloading at La Hague
Unloading of foreign RRSF at La Hague © AREVA
AREVA - Overview on RRSF Reprocessing, Transportation, Waste management – RERTR-2015, Seoul, Korea p.9

10. RR UAl Spent Fuel
Dissolution
in hot nitric acid
solution
Interim
Storage
Solid/ Liquid
Separation
by Centrifugation
Reception
Al < 40 g/L
Limitation
Liquid/ Liquid
Extraction
Vitrification
Final waste
U, Pu, FP
from RRSF reprocessing
Si < 40 mg/L
Limitation
Equipment
not used for UAl
Recovered
U & Pu
U, Pu, FP
from UOx reprocessing
FP Concentration
& interim storage
Fines interim
storage
Fines coming from
UOx reprocessing
ε fines
Mixture
RR reprocessing process description
UAl on-going reprocessing
AREVA - Overview on RRSF Reprocessing, Transportation, Waste management – RERTR-2015, Seoul, Korea p.10

11. Dissolution
in hot nitric acid
solution
Interim
Storage
Solid/ Liquid
Separation
by Centrifugation
Reception
Al < 40 g/L
Limitation
Liquid/ Liquid
Extraction
Vitrification
Final waste
RR USi Spent Fuel
Si < 40 mg/L
Limitation
Recovered
U & Pu
FP Concentration
& interim storage
Fines interim
storage
Fines coming from
UOx reprocessing
Si + ε fines
RR reprocessing process description
USi future reprocessing
REFERENCE: “Status on silicide fuel reprocessing at AREVA La Hague”
J.F. Valery, X. Domingo, P. Landau, C. Alameda-Angulo, C. Pechard, V .Laloy,
RERTR-2015, Seoul, October 2015
AREVA - Overview on RRSF Reprocessing, Transportation, Waste management – RERTR-2015, Seoul, Korea p.11
U, Pu, FP
from RRSF reprocessing
U, Pu, FP
from UOx reprocessing Mixture

12. Reprocessing USi RRSF
Qualification planning overview
Q3 Q4 Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4
R&D operations to qualify the treatment of Usi fuels
Engeeniring & qualification studies (APS:
Preliminary Studies)
Engeeniring & qualification studies (APD: Detailed
studies) + Application file
RPS Application to FSA
FSA feedback, authorization and limited campaign
Start of industrial USi reprocessing operations
2013 2014 2015 2016 2017
USi industrial-scale reprocessing starting 2017
NB: This planning is submitted to ASN timeline and decisions
AREVA - Overview on RRSF Reprocessing, Transportation, Waste management – RERTR-2015, Seoul, Korea p.12

13. RR SF reprocessing at La Hague
Perspectives for UO2/MOX fuel
UO2 reprocessing is the core-activitiy of AREVA La Hague
Commercial power plant fuel reprocessing
Reprocessing more than 1000 tHm/year (1172tHm in 2013)
Mainly PWR and BWR, Zr cladding
RRSF large diversity of
Fuel type
Design & Cladding-type
Enrichment
Burn-up
…
Reprocessing of UO2/MOX RRSF needs case-by-case analysis
AREVA - Overview on RRSF Reprocessing, Transportation, Waste management – RERTR-2015, Seoul, Korea p.13

14. Preliminary options for recovered material
and residues in RRSF reprocessing
Residues
French law defines a residue accounting system
Equivalent activity and metallic mass to be sent back
• Metallic mass (UMR): compacted waste, CSD-C
• Activity (UAR): vitrified waste, CSD-V or CSD-U
For RRSF, if all material is dissolved, only UAR to return
• CSD-V: <2kW (case study: Belgium)
• CSD-U: ~50W (case study: Australia)
Material (U, Pu)
Non-proliferation: U enrichment < 2%, use of Pu (MOX fuel)
Options are open for material use:
• Recycle recovered U and Pu in new NPP fuels
• Send back the valuable material to the customer
AREVA - Overview on RRSF Reprocessing, Transportation, Waste management – RERTR-2015, Seoul, Korea p.14

15. Australia case study
Sustainable RRSF management
Australia needs and constraints
Choice of reprocessing, but low quantities of CSD-V residues expected after RRSF reprocessing
No foreseen HLW vitrified residues storage with high thermal power
(no NPP in Australia)
• Thermal power constraint for current residues (not consistent with CSD-V)
• Surface interim storage in cask
AREVA proposed alternative standard vitrified residues: CSD-U
La Hague EXPER-system compliant
lower activity content than CSD-V
lower thermal power than CSD-V (~50W compared to 2kW)
higher residues canisters items to be shipped back
(from 5 to 10 CSD-U per ton of reprocessed RR SF)
Residues return and surface storage
AREVA can propose transportation/storage casks: TN-81
• maximum of 28 CSD-V or CSD-U / cask
CSD-U-loaded TN-81 can be easily stored on the surface according to national regulations
Waste type can be selected to fit with customer’s constraints
AREVA - Overview on RRSF Reprocessing, Transportation, Waste management – RERTR-2015, Seoul, Korea p.15

16. Total preparation phase from 1 to 6 years
Anticipation needed for RR operations continuity
RRSF reprocessing - Overall project schedule
Preparation phase
Confirmation of reprocessing scenario & cost estimation
From 3 to 18 months
Transportation preparation
From 3 to 24 months
InterGovernmental Agreement and related exchanges
From 6 to 24+ months
AREVA - Overview on RRSF Reprocessing, Transportation, Waste management – RERTR-2015, Seoul, Korea p.16

17. RRSF reprocessing - Overall project schedule
Execution phase overall timeline
A 10-20 + years lead time
NB: This is a typical schedule to be adapted on a case-by case basis
AREVA - Overview on RRSF Reprocessing, Transportation, Waste management – RERTR-2015, Seoul, Korea p.17

18. Take away
Optimize final waste management
Reduce volume x30 to x50
Reduce radio toxicity
Standardize final waste package,
adapted to country’s regulations
Make back-end management sustainable
Non-proliferation : U enrichment < 2%, Pu use
No safeguards on final waste
Costs certainty
RR can benefit from great experience
25+ tons of RRSF sustainably reprocessed as of today
150+ RRSF transports to La Hague
Inter-governmental and Regulatory experience
AREVA - Overview on RRSF Reprocessing, Transportation, Waste management – RERTR-2015, Seoul, Korea p.18
Your AREVA contact: Xavier DOMINGO, xavier.domingo@areva.com
RRSF management through reprocessing

19. Appendix
AREVA - Overview on RRSF Reprocessing, Transportation, Waste management – RERTR-2015, Seoul, Korea p.19

20. The non reusable materials are conditioned into a stable and compact form licensed by all
involved Authorities for transport, storage and final disposal
Both the glass matrix and compacted
waste are encased in a standard
“Universal Canister”
As the canister contains no fissile
elements, no safeguards are required
for this waste
For RR fuel, recycling reduces waste
volume by a factor of 30-50
Encapsulation of
Fission Products
in a stable,
homogeneous,
and durable glass
matrix with a
long-term predictable
behaviour
VITRIFICATION
Compaction
of structural
pieces
(hulls and
end-pieces)
COMPACTION
Waste products equivalent
to standard waste
containers for commercial
power plants
Waste management
Waste Types
If the entire SF is
dissolved, there is no
compacted waste
production for RRSF
reprocessing
AREVA - Overview on RRSF Reprocessing, Transportation, Waste management – RERTR-2015, Seoul, Korea p.20