Under the START Agreements, the United States has agreed to market separative work units (SWU) contained in the highly enriched uranium (HEU) from dismantled weapons. A team of companies, of which Orano is a member, will acquire the natural uranium component (UF6) of the HEU.

A specialized facility in which certain maintenance and repair operations can be performed on contaminated components. Our two main facilities are Somanu in France and the Pump & Motor Services Center in the United States.

In the high temperature reactor (HTR), the fuel is sealed in carbon pebbles measuring 1 millimeter in diameter. These high-integrity pebbles can provide radioactive materials containment at temperatures of as much as 1,600ºC. The heat generated in the reactor is recovered by gaseous helium, which activates a gas turbine.

Pieces of tubing about 3 centimeters long from reactor fuel cladding (rods) that has been obtained through the shearing in the reprocessing plant.