Newcleo offered site for MOX fuel plant

Newcleo plans to directly invest in a mixed uranium/plutonium oxide (MOX) plant to fuel its small modular lead-cooled fast reactors. The MOX fuel would be produced from nuclear materials recovered through the reprocessing of used fuel. In June 2022 the company announced it had contracted France's Orano for feasibility studies on the establishment of a MOX production plant.

The Aube Department council has now agreed to sell land it owns - located in the municipalities of Pont-sur-Seine and Marnay-sur-Seine - to Newcleo on which to construct the plant.

Designed as a modular facility, the MOX plant is expected to scale its production capacity as needed. The project would represent an initial investment of EUR1.8 billion (USD2.1 billion). It could ultimately include three production lines. The first line, scheduled for 2030, would involve up to 2,000 people during construction and generate 850 direct jobs. By 2040, an additional investment of EUR3.2 billion could enable the creation of two more lines, bringing the total number of direct jobs at the site to 1,700.

In March, Newcleo announced it had acquired a site in Chusclan in the Gard department in southern France on which it will build an R&D innovation and training centre supporting the development of its future fuel assembly manufacturing facility in France.

In parallel, Newcleo is progressing with another strategic project in France: the construction of its demonstration LFR-AS-30 reactor, with a power output of 30 MWe, which it plans to locate in Indre-et-Loire in the Chinon Vienne et Loire community of municipalities in western France. This first reactor would offer, in addition to electricity generation, advanced research services and the production of medical isotopes. The company continues administrative procedures in close cooperation with local elected officials, aiming for commissioning by 2031.

Newcleo said it plans to submit construction authorisation applications for both the MOX fuel facility and the demonstration reactor - which it describes as "interdependent projects" - by the end of 2026.

"France has all the assets to develop a true circular economy in nuclear energy, serving national and European energy sovereignty and industrial competitiveness," said Newcleo founder and CEO Stefano Buono. "By setting up our future fuel manufacturing facility in the Aube, we would demonstrate that fourth-generation nuclear can transform what is today considered waste - spent fuel from other reactors - into a strategic resource for Europe. Our project illustrates our deep belief: through innovation and close collaboration between public and private stakeholders, France can become the leader of an innovative and export-oriented European nuclear sector."