Control of Nuclear Material: MUF monitoring in French MOX fuel fabrication plants.

The fabrication in France of U+Pu mixed-oxide fuel commenced as early as 1962 in the Cadarache plant, for experimental reactor (MTR) and fast breeder reactor (FBR) applications. Following restrictions on the use of FBR resources for the production of electricity in France, the complete requirements since 1991 for light water reactors (PWR and BWR) are produced in the COGEMA Cadarache and Melox plants, which are integral elements of the COGEMA Group Recycling Business Unit, itself appertaining to the AREVA Group. During that period, numerous technical, industrial and information system enhancements have been developed in the fabrication plants; the control and management of nuclear material has also evolved in parallel with fabrication technology and the ever increasingly efficient techniques of data input and processing. Currently, the two MOX fuel fabrication plants both dispose of an integrated computerized production management tool, enabling the monitoring, control and accounting for nuclear material in real-time mode with well-proven levels of accuracy and reliability. Amongst other benefits, the above information systems enable tracking of MUF throughout the complete duration of material balance, with sufficient precision to detect all anomalies.