After the uranium enrichment process, the nuclear fuel is made in different installations, depending on its final destination. The UF6 is converted into uranium oxide powder so that after processing it can be made up into fuel rods, themselves subsequently assembled to form fuel assemblies.

Depending on whether the fuel is intended for PWRs, fast reactors or experimental reactors, and depending on the fissile material it contains, it is manufactured in one of the following establishments: FBFC at Romans-sur-Isère or MELOX at Marcoule, this latter plant being designed to produce fuel containing plutonium.

The two basic nuclear installations, BNI 63 and BNI 98, installed on this site, on which they share a certain number of common resources, belong respectively to the CERCA and FBFC companies, which form part of the Framatome-ANP group fuel division. Under the terms of decree 63-1228 of 11 December 1963, as amended, concerning nuclear installations, the FBFC company is the site's sole nuclear licensee.

BNI 63 comprises a series of facilities for the manufacture of highly enriched uranium fuel for experimental reactors. BNI 98 production, consisting of uranium oxide powder or fuel assemblies, is intended solely for light water reactors.

Fuel element fabrication plant (BNI 98)

In 2002, the licensee submitted an application to increase production capacity, leading to modification of the prior authorisations dating from 1978. The modifying decree will be sent for signature in early 2006 and is the end-result of the procedure implemented under the above-mentioned decree of 11 December 1963, in particular including a public inquiry, which began on 2 June and ended on 11 July 2003.

At the same time and in order to meet the objectives of the safety review carried out in 2003, the licensee proposed renewing and modernising its industrial tool. After review by the Advisory Committee, this project was accepted by the ASN. The resulting site modernisation process should run until 2008.

CERCA company plant (BNI 63)

The CERCA company plant, one of the oldest French nuclear sites, predates publication of the above-mentioned 1963 decree on nuclear installations. This installation was simply declared for regularisation after publication of this decree.

The ASN wishes to see the requirements applicable to operation of this plant covered by a decree, as is the case with the FBFC company's fuel fabrication plant. The procedure could be started when the application is submitted for modification of the installations and could be based on the safety review for this plant currently in progress.

In March 2005, the licensee also submitted an application for commissioning of an HTR (High Temperature Reactor) pilot fuel unit. This activity is part of the generation IV reactor R&D programme in which the Framatome-ANP company is a participant.

With the cessation of industrial production in the Cadarache facility (ATPu), MELOX is now the only French nuclear installation producing MOX fuel, consisting of a mixture of uranium and plutonium oxides.

After releasing a decree authorising the plant annual production capacity to be raised from 101 tons of heavy metal (or 115 tons of oxide) to 145 tons of heavy metal, to absorb the ATPu's order book, the licensee in August 2004 presented a further application to increase the production capacity to 195 tons. This application from the licensee will undergo a public inquiry in spring 2006.

Using the rods manufactured in the Cadarache ATPu facility, the MELOX plant also fabricated the four assemblies for the EUROFAB project. As the plutonium isotopes used in this context do not comply with the requirements of the plant's authorisation decree, this campaign was authorised by a decree of 4 October 2004. The campaign ended with the March 2005 shipment of four assemblies and the manufacturing scrap.

Radiation protection

Since 2000, the external collective and individual doses received by the workers have been rising. This is due both to the change in the actual radiological content of the materials used (plutonium resulting from reprocessing of higher burnup fraction fuels) and the rise in the plutonium oxide content of the MOX fuel.

In the context of the above-mentioned capacity increase, the ASN is particularly attentive to ensuring that the licensee continues with and reinforces actions to optimise radiation protection to keep the rise in doses received under control.

In 2005, the 26 July 2004 event was re-rated at level 2. This was the first such occasion in the fuel cycle installations since 1999. This event is described in detail below.