Orano reported that demolition work has started at the two cooling towers of France’s Georges Besse I gaseous diffusion enrichment plant in Tricastin. George Besse I was constructed in the early 1970s adjacent to the Tricastin NPP and was shut down in 2012. The two towers – 123 metres high and 90 metres in diameter at their base – cooled the uranium enrichment plant operated by Eurodif Production for 33 years. Deconstruction of the towers is a key stage in the dismantling of the former enrichment plant, Orano said. “This gigantic project symbolises the transformation of a historic industrial site towards a future resolutely focused on innovation and performance,” Orano noted.
The plant was replaced by the Georges Besse II enrichment facility, which uses centrifuge technology. “This technological change illustrates Orano’s ability to renew itself and remain at the forefront of the nuclear industry, Orano said. “Today, the Tricastin site is a benchmark industrial platform, drawing on nearly 60 years of know-how, and encompassing all uranium chemistry and enrichment activities. It represents a unique centre of expertise in the world, mastering the upstream stages of the nuclear fuel cycle.”
Deconstruction of the towers will last 18 months. Because of the proximity of the nearby NPP, the French Nuclear Safety and Radiation Protection Authority (ASNR – L’Autorité de Sûreté Nucléaire et de Radioprotection) has validated that the towers will be dismantled using a technique known as “nibbling”, which involves gradually deconstructing the towers from top to bottom using specialised equipment mounted inside the structures.
This project to dismantle Eurodif’s plant, costing a total of €1.2bn ($1.36bn) will last until 2051. The space freed up by the disappearance of the towers will allow industrial expansion of the site. New activities include the production of non-nuclear stable isotopes (the LIS Jean Fourniols laboratory), opening up prospects in the fields of healthcare, research and industry.
