Orano Announces 30% Increase in Uranium Enrichment Capacity by 2028
$1.8 Billion investment at Orano’s Georges Besse 2 Enrichment facility in France.
BETHESDA, Md., October 26, 2023 – Orano’s Board of Directors recently approved a $1.8 billion investment to increase the Georges Besse 2 (GB2) facility’s uranium enrichment capacity by 2.5 million separative work units
(SWU) representing more than a 30% increase.
The additional four enrichment modules identical to the facility’s existing 14 modules are expected to be online as of 2028.
The GB2 facility in southern France reached its full production capacity of 7.5 million SWUs in 2016. The site’s modern centrifuges offer the best performance in terms of reliability, safety, energy efficiency, and minimal environmental impact.
This expanded GB2 capacity helps meet the demand for the current reactor fleet using uranium enriched up to 5%.
Future enhanced supply remains under consideration to support advanced reactor fuels with enrichments up to 6% for LEU+ (Low Enriched Uranium) and up to 19.75% for HALEU (High-Assay, Low Enriched Uranium) in various fuel forms.
Supplying the wide range of advanced reactor concepts will require new dedicated enrichment capacity along with associated chemistry services (“deconversion”) to produce the variety of fuel forms desired by the market.
Orano is committed to supporting and enabling the commercial global nuclear energy market. We are continuing to position for its growth and to supply the critical infrastructure needed to resolve key challenges.
In the same way that this current GB2 capacity increase responds to firm customer needs, the significant investment in higher enrichment production also requires firm commitments by reactor developers or government entities.
With firm customer commitments, Orano is prepared to supply enrichment up to 6% by 2025 and up to 19.75% thereafter, as driven by demand.
Download this press release.
Learn more about Orano's uranium conversion and enrichment capabilities.
The additional four enrichment modules identical to the facility’s existing 14 modules are expected to be online as of 2028.
The GB2 facility in southern France reached its full production capacity of 7.5 million SWUs in 2016. The site’s modern centrifuges offer the best performance in terms of reliability, safety, energy efficiency, and minimal environmental impact.
This expanded GB2 capacity helps meet the demand for the current reactor fleet using uranium enriched up to 5%.
Future enhanced supply remains under consideration to support advanced reactor fuels with enrichments up to 6% for LEU+ (Low Enriched Uranium) and up to 19.75% for HALEU (High-Assay, Low Enriched Uranium) in various fuel forms.
Supplying the wide range of advanced reactor concepts will require new dedicated enrichment capacity along with associated chemistry services (“deconversion”) to produce the variety of fuel forms desired by the market.
Orano is committed to supporting and enabling the commercial global nuclear energy market. We are continuing to position for its growth and to supply the critical infrastructure needed to resolve key challenges.
In the same way that this current GB2 capacity increase responds to firm customer needs, the significant investment in higher enrichment production also requires firm commitments by reactor developers or government entities.
With firm customer commitments, Orano is prepared to supply enrichment up to 6% by 2025 and up to 19.75% thereafter, as driven by demand.
Download this press release.
Learn more about Orano's uranium conversion and enrichment capabilities.