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Route to process MOX fuel
A statement is being made at today’s meeting of the West Cumbria Sites Stakeholder Group (WCSSG) Commercial Sub committee on the final route chosen to process un-used MOX fuel currently stored at Sellafield.
Sellafield Ltd has been working for a number of years to evaluate the best option for this fuel and contractual arrangements have now been put in place. Regular updates have been provided on our plans to process these MOX fuel assemblies and Sellafield Ltd is now upholding a promise to make public this decision.
In 2002 a consignment of eight unirradiated MOX fuel assemblies was returned to Sellafield from Japan. At the time, it was agreed between BNFL and the UK Government that these fuel assemblies, now of NDA ownership, would be processed and the useful constituents separated out for potential reuse.
We have now identified a route for processing these eight fuel assemblies together with a further eight unirradiated MOX fuel assemblies manufactured at Sellafield in the late 1990’s but never exported.
In 2014/15 the sixteen unirradiated MOX fuel assemblies will be transported to France to be processed in a facility at Cap La Hague operated by Areva NC. The reusable constituents will be separated out and made available for making into new fuel. The waste products will be returned to Sellafield.
Until these fuel assemblies are transported to France they will remain in safe monitored storage at Sellafield.
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For more information please contact the Sellafield Press Office on: 019467 85836/38/39/42/48.
