Areva hopes that the so-called COMURHEX II project will help the company to maintain its leading position in the global nuclear energy sector. The conversion of uranium is a key stage in the fuel cycle before enrichment and the fabrication of the fuel required for nuclear reactors.
According to Areva, nuclear safety and reducing the impact on the environment were top priorities when designing the project. The company added that the future facilities will also lead to major savings of water and energy consumption and reduce effluents.
The design work on the project has been carried out over a three-year period and the site will be launched in summer 2007, the company revealed. First industrial production is scheduled for 2012, based on 15,000 metric tons of uranium per year. This figure may be increased to 21,000 tons to meet market requirements.
Anne Lauvergeon, CEO of Areva, said: COMURHEX II is a key element in our strategy of offering customers a complete range of products and services to operate their nuclear reactors.
