Cadarache

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Cadarache
Location of Cadarache in France

Cadarache is a nuclear research center in the relatively small community of Saint-Paul-lès-Durance in the Bouches-du-Rhône department in southern France , around 60 km northeast of Marseille . It is located on the east bank of the Durance River and comprises around 450 buildings and employs around 5,000 people.

tasks

The center carries out research and development work related to the industrial use of nuclear reactors , uranium and plutonium fuels, as well as other uses of nuclear energy . Due to the wide range of tasks, the center comprises around 20 different nuclear base plants (INB - Installation Nucléaire de Base), including the research reactors Cabri , Scarabee , Masurca , Eole , Minerve and Phebus .

Production plant ATPu

An important facility was the Cadarache ( CFCa ) production plant with the subsystems ATPu (“Atelier de technologie du plutonium”) and LPC (“Laboratoire de purification chimique”). Until 2003, the ATPu had produced 350 t of plutonium-containing fuel elements ( MOX fuel elements ) for light water reactors . Due to earthquake safety concerns , commercial operations were shut down and relocated to the Melox plant in Marcoule . However, plutonium from the American army was still processed for test purposes.

Dismantling

After the end of its use as a manufacturing facility for MOX fuel elements in 2003, it was decided to dismantle this unit. Demolition work began in February 2009. In October 2009, work on the plant had to be temporarily stopped by order of the French atomic safety authority, as a total of 39 kg of plutonium dust was unexpectedly found in the glove boxes .

When the decision was made to demolish the plant in 2008, the operator assumed a total amount of around 8 kg. The expectation was that the total of 450 boxes could have collected around 18 g of plutonium dust each over the course of 40 years of operation. For technical reasons, the interior could never be completely cleaned during regular cleaning.

After checking boxes that had already been dismantled, it was found that an average of 89 g of plutonium dust had collected per box. This increased the total amount to around 39 kg of plutonium dust. The occurrence was presumably already discovered in June and has now been classified as a Category 2 accident on the International Rating Scale for Nuclear Events . The dismantling continued and was successfully completed in 2017.

Reactor types

Type of thermal nuclear fission reactor

  • Eole ( swimming pool design ): Tests for the core design of light water reactors are carried out here.
  • Minerve : The physical and chemical properties of nuclear fuel rods are investigated in this reactor.
  • Cabri (swimming pool design): This reactor is used to test the design and resistance of fuel rods.
  • Phébus : Thisexaminesthe behavior of reactors in the event of a core meltdown . Phébus describes both the research reactor and a project to research core meltdowns. The first test of a controlled core meltdown took place on December 3, 1993.
  • New Generation Reactor : This is a reactor for the development of fuel rods for reactors in ships ( aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle ) and submarines . It is also used to train the crews.

Fast breeder type

Phénix was the predecessor of Superphénix. The expensive Superphénix project was terminated prematurely after a series of breakdowns.

Type fusion reactor

Decommissioned reactors

  • SCARABEE : It was part of the SURA project together with the CABRI reactor. Accident studies were carried out as part of the project. The reactor was shut down in 2002.
  • HARMONY : This was a material test reactor primarily operated for the military. Its thermal output was around 1 KW, and highly enriched U235 was used as fuel . It went critical for the first time in 1965 and finally shut down in December 1997.
  • Pégase-CASCAD : This experimental reactor was in operation from 1963 to 1975 and was shut down due to safety deficiencies. Radioactive waste was temporarily stored there until 2006; this permit has since been revoked.
  • PEGGY (1961–1975): The gas-cooled reactor has since been dismantled.
  • MARIUS (1960–1983): This reactor with 0.4 kW thermal power has since been dismantled.
  • CAESAR (1964–1974): The reactor has since been dismantled.

Other plants

  • ATPu (Atelier de Technologie du Plutonium) served the MOX fuel element production mainly for German power plants. Production stopped in 2003.
  • ATUE (Ateliers de Traitement de l'Uranium Enrichi) is a laboratory for the production of enriched uranium.
  • CEDRA is a facility for the treatment and storage of radioactive waste.
  • IRCA (IRradiateur de CAdarache) is used to monitor radiation protection in Caderache.
  • LDAC (Laboratoire de Découpe des Assemblages Combustibles) is a system for cutting fuel elements.
  • LECA serves as a test laboratory for radioactive waste.
  • LEFCA is a laboratory for the production of new advanced nuclear fuels.
  • LPC (Laboratoire de Purification Chimique)
  • MCMF (Magasin Central des Matières Fissiles) is a warehouse for fissile material.
  • PARC (Parc d'entreposage et de décroissance de déchets radioactifs) serves as a repository for radioactive waste.
  • STED (Station de Traitement des Effluents et Déchets) is used to treat radioactive waste.

Under construction

Model view of the new YEAR

On March 19, 2007, the foundation stone for the Jules Horowitz Reactor (JHR) was laid. The third generation reactor ( EPR , European Pressurized Water Reactor) is being built together with eight other European countries. It was originally scheduled to start operating in 2014. However, construction was delayed, so that completion is expected in 2025 in 2018. The reactor is to have a capacity of 100 MW and is intended for material tests. The costs for the project are estimated at 500 million euros and are distributed as follows:

Web links

Commons : Cadarache  - collection of images, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ^ Robert Arnoux: CEA: a "discrepancy" within safety limits. In: ITER Newsline 105. October 30, 2009, accessed on November 15, 2019 .
  2. ↑ Risk of a chain reaction. In: Tagesspiegel. October 16, 2009, accessed November 15, 2019 .
  3. ↑ Orano-Group: Dismantling of the MOX factory in Caradache. Retrieved December 30, 2019 (French).
  4. ↑ Véronique Le Billon: Bras de fer entre le CEA et l'ASN sur le réacteur Osiris. In: Les Echos. April 14, 2014, accessed November 15, 2019 (French). Article in Les Echos about the feared consequences of decommissioning the OSIRIS reactor before the JHR goes into operation.

Coordinates: 43 ° 41 ′  N , 5 ° 46 ′  E