Marcoule

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Marcoule
Data
Country France
Operator EDF/CEA
Built 1952
Start of commercial operation January 7, 1956
Ceased operation June 20, 1984
Reactors
Reactors shut down 3
Power
Net generation 11,346 GWh
Other details
As of November 26, 2006

Marcoule (French: Site nucléaire de Marcoule) is located in the Chusclan and Codolet French communes, near Bagnols-sur-Cèze in the Gard department, which is in the touristic, wine and agricultural Côtes-du-Rhône region. Since 1956, Marcoule is a gigantic site exploited by the atomic energy organization Commissariat à l'Énergie Atomique (CEA) and Areva NC. The first industrial and military plutonium experiments took place in Marcoule. Diversification of the site was started in the 1970s with the creation of the Phénix prototype fast breeder reactor, and is nowadays an important site for decommissioning nuclear facilities activities.

Since 1995, the MELOX factory produces MOX from a mix of uranium and plutonium oxides. MOX is used to recycle plutonium from nuclear combustibles; this plutonium comes from the COGEMA La Hague site.

The ATelier Alpha et Laboratoires pour ANalyses, Transuraniens et Etudes de retraitement (ATALANTE) is a CEA laboratory investigating the issues of nuclear reprocessing of nuclear fuel and of radioactive waste.

[edit] Reactors

The site housed a number of the first generation French AGR reactors, of which have all been shut down. Since then, it has also operated a pressurized water reactor that was used for the purpose of producing Tritium. Cooling for all of the plants has come from the Rhône river.

Unit Type Net power Total power Construction start Construction finish Commercial operation Shut down
Marcoule G1[1] AGR-Reactor 2 MW 1955 07.01.1956 - 15.10.1968
Marcoule G2 AGR-Reactor 38 MW 43 MW 01.03.1955 22.04.1959 22.04.1959 02.02.1980
Marcoule G3 AGR-Reactor 38 MW 43 MW 01.03.1956 04.04.1960 27.05.1981 20.06.1984

Coordinates: 44°8′36″N 4°42′34″E / 44.14333, 4.70944

[edit] References

  1. ^ Quelle: Liste der Nuklearanlagen in Frankreich