Fuel Cycle Facilities for the Future; a Global Concept

This paper shall first recall the concept of a multinational approach to the fuel cycle, with an emphasis on treatment / recycling facilities. Within the widely discussed and encouraged idea of minimizing worldwide the number and locations of sensitive technology facilities while responding to expected growing needs with the expansion of nuclear energy in new countries as well as in already nuclear countries, the development of new facilities is considered. Built on its 30 years experience in reprocessing and recycling, AREVA has now developed a new concept of facility integrating the treatment and fabrication steps in one facility and based on the COEX process. The paper shall underline the advantages in terms of safeguards and non proliferation effort of this new type of facility in a global context.