AREVA announces shipment of Italian used nuclear fuel

AREVA Inc. announced on Tuesday that their railway terminal has received 7.1 tons of used nuclear material that will be treated and recycled at their la Hague facility.

The company states that approximately 96 percent of this shipment consists of energy materials that will be able to provide viable energy sources after it has gone through the recycling and treatment process. This shipment is the 23rd of its kind to come from Italy's SOGIN, a state-owned company that takes part in decommissioning and management of radioactive sites.

These shipments are a part of an intergovernmental agreement between France and Italy that was established in 2007. Under the contract between AREVA and SOGIN, 235 tons of spent nuclear material will be treated, recycled or disposed of. Of that total 222 tons have been shipped and approximately 190 tons has been treated.

This shipment of nuclear fuel was enough to generate electricity that would support approximately 180,000 individuals over the course of a year.

AREVA is an international company that is focused on multiple areas of the nuclear generation industry. They are involved in the design and manufacturing of nuclear reactors, fuel assemblies and components, and they offer services in decommissioning, nuclear waste treatment and site management and maintenance.