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Areva Begins Production Of First MOX Fuel For Borssele

By Lubomir Mitev
4 November 2013

4 Nov (NucNet): Areva has begun the fabrication of the first mixed-oxide (MOX) fuel for the single-unit Borssele nuclear power plant in the Netherlands, the company has said.

The fabrication process is taking place at Areva’s Melox facility at the Marcoule nuclear site in southern France, a statement said.

In 2008, the Dutch utility EPZ, the operator of Borssele, decided to diversify its nuclear fuel supply and chose Areva for the fabrication of MOX fuel.

This year, EPZ was granted a licence for the loading of eight MOX fuel assemblies in 2014 and then twelve assemblies every following year.

The use of MOX fuel will enable EPZ to make the most of the “economic and environmental advantages” associated with used fuel recycling, the statement said.

With the fabrication of MOX fuel for Borssele, the Netherlands becomes the seventh country to use or have used MOX fuel in its nuclear reactors, the statement said.

Some operators in Belgium, France, Germany, the UK, Japan and Switzerland have used or use MOX fuel, typically as one third of their cores. Some units can use up to 50 percent MOX and some modern designs could use 100 percent MOX.

Borssele nuclear power plant has been offline since early September due to the need to replace broken generator coolers. It is expected to return to operation in November.

MOX fuel consists of a mix of uranium and plutonium oxides recovered from used nuclear fuel.

Borssele, a 482-megawatt unit, began commercial operation in October 1973. It is the Netherlands’ only commercially operational nuclear unit.

In January 2012, EPZ said it remained convinced of the need for new nuclear in the Netherlands, despite taking a decision to delay plans for a new plant at the existing Borssele site by two to three years.

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