Orano opens new factory in France for innovative casks

Thursday, 17 October 2024

The opening ceremony was held in the presence of Claude Imauven, chairman of the Orano board of directors and Frédéric de Agostini, senior executive vice president in charge of nuclear packaging and services, together with customers, elected officials and economic stakeholders from the region.

Construction of the 6600-square-metre TN Eagle 4.0 factory began in February 2023, with the support of the France Relance investment fund. Equipped with manufacturing processes featuring disruptive technology compared with market standards, the fully-automated factory can assemble weld-free packages in 15 months, compared with an average of more than 40 months for previous-generation products. The TN Eagle factory has a production capacity of up to 30 packages per year.

"Implementation of these new processes has been made possible thanks to a design that is innovative in itself," Orano said. "With up to ten times fewer parts than similar packaging, zero welding and exceptional modularity, the TN Eagle design optimises manufacturing while benefiting from greater robustness."

_{The TN Eagle cask concept (Image: Orano)}

The TN Eagle cask design - 5 metres long, 3 metres in diameter, weighing 150 tonnes - was approved by the French Nuclear Safety Authority in 2020 and by the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission in November last year.

Orano said it had already received numerous orders for several dozen TN Eagle casks from French and international customers.

"I am proud today to inaugurate our TN Eagle factory, the result of the commitment of the Orano teams who, in just six years, have designed new packaging and commissioned a factory featuring breakthrough technology compared with existing standards, while contributing to more reliable, safer and more competitive manufacturing," Agostini said. "I would like to thank our French and international customers for their trust in us."

Orano CEO Nicolas Maes added: "This project reflects the group's desire to develop innovative solutions, combining Orano's historical expertise in the field of nuclear packaging and cutting-edge technologies. This new industrial facility, located in the area of Nord-Cotentin, allows us to maximise our support for the needs of our customers all over the world."

Orano NPS - a subsidiary of the Orano group - provides global logistics solutions to its customers throughout the world, ranging from the design of packages, together with their approval and manufacture, through to nuclear materials transport operations. Orano NPS carries out more than 6000 transport operations annually worldwide.