Departure of MOX to Japan

Two ships carrying MOX, a nuclear fuel, left the port of Cherbourg, in the English Channel, bound for Japan.

Share:

Two ships carrying MOX, a nuclear fuel containing plutonium, left Saturday morning from the port of Cherbourg (Manche) to Japan, where they are to deliver their cargo in November, an AFP photographer noted.

“The specialized vessels Pacific Heron and Pacific Egret of the British company PNTL have left the port of Cherbourg,” the French nuclear group Orano wrote in a statement.

“We transported the second MOX fuel package, which left the Orano La Hague site to the port of Cherbourg, and the package was then loaded onto the boat,” Orano had explained to AFP earlier in the morning.

The loading operation was carried out “successfully” and this is the second package brought to Cherbourg from the town of La Hague, 20 km away, after the one that arrived in the Normandy port on September 7.

A technical problem – the failure of a gantry crane – prevented the nuclear fuel from leaving for Japan.

“The shipment is expected to arrive in Japanese territorial waters during November,” the nuclear group said in its statement, recalling that this is the eighth time Orano has transported MOX from France to Japan.

The cargo was loaded at around 03:00 on the port, where the forces of order were present, then the ships started their journey a little before 10:00, according to the AFP photographer.

The previous transport of MOX from Cherbourg to Japan dates back to September 2021, when the ship left the port in the afternoon following the morning of the fuel loading.

75,000 fine for anyone approaching MOX.

According to Orano, MOX is a nuclear fuel that allows the recycling of spent fuel. It is made from materials from the spent fuel in the power plants to produce electricity.

“In a world today extremely destabilized, in crisis with Russia as well as with China and Taiwan, transporting such dangerous materials from a nuclear proliferation point of view is completely irresponsible,” said Yannick Rousselet of Greenpeace France.

According to Orano, “the plutonium contained in MOX is not the same as that used by the military”.

Bahrain has concluded a civil nuclear agreement with the United States and formalised a commitment of $17bn in public investments in the US market, further strengthening bilateral cooperation.
Kairos Power has installed the vessel for its third test prototype in Oak Ridge, aiming to validate manufacturing methods for its future Hermes reactor supported by the US Department of Energy.
London and Prague formalise a strategic partnership to develop the nuclear sector, focusing on small modular reactors and industrial cooperation on supply chains.
Experts have broadly approved France’s Cigéo deep nuclear waste repository project, highlighting technical uncertainties that demand stronger guarantees for long-term safety.
Uzbekistan advances its nuclear project by signing a protocol with Hungary for the supply and local assembly of dry cooling systems, expanding its industrial partnerships in the region.
Polskie Elektrownie Jądrowe is asking the European Commission to review its $49bn investment to build Poland’s first nuclear power plant, a step required under the Euratom Treaty before any construction permit can be issued.
The International Atomic Energy Agency mission completed on July 11 warns that the National Nuclear Safety Administration must hire staff to oversee a fleet of 59 reactors in operation and 32 more under construction.
Energoatom signed strategic agreements with Westinghouse and Holtec at the Ukraine Recovery Conference, aiming to establish nuclear fuel production and small modular reactor capabilities in the country.
Tehran agrees to reopen its nuclear facilities to the IAEA, aiming to resume negotiations with Washington, while Moscow pushes for a “zero enrichment” agreement without getting involved in supervision.
TerraPower has selected three new American suppliers for its advanced Natrium nuclear reactor, confirming progress on the project located in Kemmerer, Wyoming, intended to replace a retiring coal-fired power plant.
Energy Exploration Technologies acquires Daytona Lithium, an Australian subsidiary of Pantera Lithium, for AUD40mn ($27mn), bringing its strategic lithium basin footprint in Smackover, USA to nearly 50,000 acres.
The Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission has identified no major barriers to licensing the ARC-100 reactor, announces ARC Clean Technology.
SE Ignalina, the Lithuanian nuclear operator, has signed a memorandum of understanding with French firm Newcleo to explore the integration of small modular reactors (SMRs) using lead-cooled fast reactor (LFR) technology in Lithuania.
Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi oversaw the signing of new agreements for the construction of the El Dabaa nuclear power plant, thus strengthening the strategic cooperation between Egypt and Russia.
Vistra Corp receives green light to extend Perry nuclear plant operations in Ohio by 20 years, securing regional electricity supply until 2046 and ensuring operational continuity for all its nuclear reactors in the United States.
EDF will hold a 12.5% stake in the Sizewell C nuclear project in the UK, a €1.3 billion investment announced during Emmanuel Macron’s official visit to London, confirming the strategic nuclear energy alignment between the two countries.
The French Cigéo project, designed to bury the most hazardous radioactive waste deep underground, obtains a crucial technical validation before its final authorization, expected by the end of 2027.
EDF confirms the continuation of its industrial project in Fessenheim for recycling very low-level radioactive metals, a first in France requiring specific regulatory authorizations, following a public debate concluded last February.
NANO Nuclear Energy Inc. formalizes its collaboration with UrAmerica Ltd. to strengthen Argentina’s uranium supply, aiming to secure future nuclear fuel supply chains for the U.S. market.
American companies SHINE Technologies and Standard Nuclear partner to recycle uranium and plutonium, supplying advanced fuel to the nuclear reactor sector and enhancing the national energy security of the United States.