Orano Launches Expansion of the Georges Besse II Enrichment Plant

Thursday, October 10, 2024, marked the launch of the expansion of the Georges Besse II enrichment plant. Orano aims to meet the growing global demand from energy providers seeking to secure their supply without relying on Russian players.

“I am very proud to celebrate today the start of this highly symbolic project in terms of sovereignty and international influence, given the geopolitical context we are currently experiencing,” said François Lurin[1], Director of Orano’s Chemistry and Enrichment activities. Gradually commissioned between 2011 and 2016, Georges Besse II is a highly strategic facility for Europe and the Western world.

Thanks to this industrial tool, Orano controls 12% of the world’s enrichment capacity[2] and meets the needs of numerous energy providers. This demand is expected to grow as many actors, on both sides of the Atlantic, seek to reduce their reliance on Russian enrichment services, which account for more than 40% of global capacity. It is in this context that the expansion project of the Georges Besse II plant was inaugurated on Thursday, October 10, 2024.

A Significant Capacity Increase

With an estimated cost of €1.7 billion, the project aims to increase enrichment capacity by 30%, from 7.5 to 10 million SWU[3]. Georges Besse II has two production units, one in the north of the Tricastin site and the other in the south. The extension only concerns the northern unit, where four modules will be added to bring the total to 10, with 18 in total when including the southern unit. The term “modules” refers to the cascades of centrifuges and associated equipment.

A Transforming Enrichment Market

Securing investment linked to capacity increases goes hand in hand with long-term contracts between the enricher and the energy provider. As a result, the West is committing to a long-term break with the Russian industry. For reference, Rosatom holds 46% of the world’s enrichment capacity and supplies about 30% of the needs of both the US and Europe.

For the European continent, dependency particularly affects countries operating Russian-designed VVER reactors, whose fuel supply—generally including conversion and enrichment services—is dependent on a single actor: Rosatom[4]. These countries have now diversified their supply contracts, although alternatives still need to be fully implemented. In addition to Orano, Urenco has also announced capacity increases at its enrichment plants in Europe and the United States, totaling 1.8 million SWU[5].

“This project is one of the five largest industrial projects currently underway in France. It marks an important step in Orano’s development. With this capacity expansion, we are strengthening the supply chain for our utility customers, and in particular, enabling many of them to reduce their exposure to geopolitical risks,” said Nicolas Maes, CEO of Orano Group. ■