Nuclear Material Control and Accountability in a MOX fuel fabrication plant : COGEMA Cadarache

MOX fuel, for FBR, MTR and LWR, has been – and is – fabricated in the COGEMA Cadarache plant since 1962 and up to day 40 t. of plutonium have been recycled. During this time the « Nuclear Materials Control and Accountability » has been improved as well as safety and security, by the authorities (domestic and international ones) but also by the plant operator for his internal needs and to meet his requirements during the evolution of the plant. Since three years a new data management system has been set up in our facility which allows a complete production management, an, always more, effective nuclear materials management and which is used as a main tool for safety (criticality). During the development of this system special emphasis has been put on : - the management of the powder/pellets area where the nuclear materials are in bulk form, where lie the measurement incertainties and the MUF and where the material accountancy must be the most effective ; - the near real time material management with the informations related to the movements at the time of these movements, with a chronological recording (trail on the complete history of items) ; - a full tracking features for quality control ; - the data processing to produce reports and particularly those required for submission to the EURATOM Safeguards Inspectorate on site. This data management system – called CONCERTO – meets all the internal requirements ( production management, nuclear material control and accountability, quality control, commercial needs, safety), the external ones (EURATOM Inspectorate, COGEMA centralised nuclear material accountancy) and offers flexibility for enhancement.