A delegation from the European Investment Bank (EIB) has visited Orano’s Tricastin site (Drôme/Vaucluse, southern France) to check the progress made on the extension of the Georges Besse II (GB-II) enrichment plant. This followed the €400m ($463m) financing granted by the EIB in March to support the project estimated at more than €1.7bn.
The GB-II gas centrifuge enrichment plant, which replaced the ageing Georges Besse I gaseous diffusion enrichment plant, was opened in December 2010 and began commercial operation in April 2011. In 2022, Orano said it had decided to increase its production capacity by 30%. The cost of the project was then estimated at €1.3bn. Currently GB-II is running at full capacity producing 7.5m separative work units (SWU). The expansion project was launched in October 2023.
The project is for an additional 2.5m SWU. It will comprise four modules to complement the 14 already in operation. The modules will be brought online progressively from 2028, and will be fully commissioned by 2030. The first stone of the expansion project was laid in October 2024 after the European Commission issued a positive opinion underlining the project’s compliance with the Euratom treaty and its contribution to the security of supply in Europe.
The expansion is a response to Orano group utility customers needing to secure fuel supplies in the context of current geopolitical tensions and the perceived need to reduce dependence on Russian enriched uranium. As part of the REPowerEU programme, the EIB Group is supporting projects aimed at promoting energy transition and strengthening Europe’s autonomy in this area.
The construction project brings together around 180 companies, mostly French, with a significant proportion of regional firms. Work is progressing on schedule and within budget: to date, over 70% of the concrete has been poured.
EIB Vice President Ambroise Fayolle noted: “Low-carbon energy sources are a key factor in enabling Europe to achieve climate neutrality. They are also a means of ensuring our sovereignty and energy security, in an uncertain geopolitical context, by becoming more autonomous in terms of resources.”
Orano CEO Nicolas Maes said the extension project is a strategic project, which in time will allow power to be supplied to nearly 60% of EU households. “This increase in production capacity represents a decisive element supporting European and Western energy sovereignty, significantly enhancing the security of supply of low-carbon energy.”
