Fessenheim: EDF faces scrutiny over nuclear recycling project

EDF's plan to build a facility for recycling low-level radioactive metals in Fessenheim is raising significant concerns over health, economics and regulation.

Share:

Gain full professional access to energynews.pro from 4.90€/month.
Designed for decision-makers, with no long-term commitment.

Over 30,000 articles published since 2021.
150 new market analyses every week to decode global energy trends.

Monthly Digital PRO PASS

Immediate Access
4.90€/month*

No commitment – cancel anytime, activation in 2 minutes.

*Special launch offer: 1st month at the indicated price, then 14.90 €/month, no long-term commitment.

Annual Digital PRO Pass

Full Annual Access
99€/year*

To access all of energynews.pro without any limits

*Introductory annual price for year one, automatically renewed at 149.00 €/year from the second year.

The project led by Électricité de France (EDF) to establish a facility for recycling very low-level radioactive metals in Fessenheim, at the site of the former nuclear power station decommissioned in 2020, was at the centre of a public debate involving 2,675 participants between October 2024 and February 2025. This future “Technocentre”, intended to process materials from dismantled nuclear installations across France, has prompted extensive questioning, particularly around its social and health acceptability, according to the Commission nationale du débat public (CNDP).

Perceived risks linked to traceability and material use

The final report published by the CNDP highlights that concerns primarily focused on the use of recycled steel in everyday objects without any traceability. Several contributors, including the association Stop Fessenheim, opposed lifting the current French prohibition on the reuse of such metals. The report notes an “absence of certainty” regarding health effects from frequent contact, which some participants cited as reason enough to reject the use of these ingots.

EDF states that the radiological impact would be less than 0.01 millisievert (mSv) per year—300 times lower than the annual exposure from natural background radiation—justifying, in its view, the lack of traceability. This estimate is supported by the Institut de radioprotection et de sûreté nucléaire (IRSN), now merged into the Autorité de sûreté nucléaire et de radioprotection (ASNR), which associates it with a fatal cancer risk of fewer than one case per million people per year.

Questions over the project’s economic viability

Beyond health considerations, the economic feasibility of the facility has also been challenged. The €450mn investment, financed by EDF with the French State as its sole shareholder, was viewed by some participants as excessive, especially in light of existing steel production. One contributor pointed out that the 20,000 tonnes of steel expected to be produced would represent only 0.16% of France’s annual steel output.

The report urges EDF to clarify safety mechanisms in case of fire or explosion, as well as cumulative impacts concerning public health, environmental effects, and industrial risk. For the project to proceed, it will require a ministerial decree granting an exemption from public health regulations, along with a prefectural authorisation. A public inquiry is scheduled for 2025–2026.

An industrial first in France

If approved, the Fessenheim Technocentre would become the first facility of its kind in France. Elsewhere in Europe, the recycling of very low-level radioactive metals is already in practice in countries including Sweden, the United Kingdom, Spain and Switzerland.

US-based Westinghouse has signed six industrial agreements in the UK to supply critical components for its AP1000 and AP300 nuclear projects in Britain and abroad.
NANO Nuclear Energy receives direct funding from the US Air Force innovation branch to assess the integration of its KRONOS MMR™ microreactor at the Washington D.C. military base.
EDF extends the operation of Heysham 1 and Hartlepool by one year after favourable safety inspections, ensuring continuity of nuclear production and safeguarding more than 1,000 jobs.
Russian nuclear group Rosatom has confirmed advanced discussions with India and Turkey to launch new power plants, including advanced and floating reactor technologies.
The International Atomic Energy Agency has identified uranium particles of industrial origin in samples taken from a Syrian site suspected of hosting an undeclared nuclear reactor.
Norwegian authorities begin the first regulatory phase for two modular nuclear reactor projects, marking a strategic step in the national review of the potential role of nuclear energy in the country’s power mix.
With eleven reactors under construction and major projects such as Jaitapur, India is preparing a nuclear build-up that could place it among the world’s five leading nations in the sector.
France and Germany have validated a joint energy roadmap, including a commitment to the non-discrimination of nuclear energy in European financing.
Russia and Iran seek to strengthen their nuclear cooperation as the E3 activates the sanctions mechanism against Tehran, reigniting tensions over compliance with the 2015 Vienna agreement.
US-based Natura Resources has secured strategic funding and key permits for its MSR-1 nuclear reactor, backed by public funds and enriched fuel allocation from the Department of Energy.
The United States and South Korea have agreed to initiate discussions on reprocessing spent nuclear fuel, marking a potential strategic shift in the long-standing bilateral agreement.
The United States Nuclear Regulatory Commission has granted a 40-year extension for the AP1000 reactor design certification, supporting its long-term construction domestically and deployment abroad.
Nano Nuclear Energy has signed a memorandum of understanding with Dioxitek, Argentina’s only uranium supplier for nuclear fuel, to assess the development of local conversion and enrichment capacities.
Stockholm plans to restart uranium extraction by lifting the 2018 ban, aiming to secure strategic supply chains and support domestic nuclear electricity production.
The French Atomic Energy Commission has signed a letter of intent with start-up Calogena to study the installation of a 30 MW thermal small nuclear reactor at its Cadarache site.
A Guidehouse Research report anticipates strong growth in the global nuclear modular reactor market, with revenues rising from $375.8 million in 2025 to $8.1 billion in 2034.
KHNP, Doosan, POSCO and Samsung C&T join US partners to develop 5 GW of modular reactors, expand uranium enrichment and build an 11 GW energy complex in Texas.
The US Department of Energy is creating an industrial consortium to accelerate domestic enriched uranium production and reduce reliance on foreign imports ahead of the Russian supply ban in 2027.
The kamikaze drone damaged an auxiliary transformer at the Kursk plant, halving the output of its only reactor in operation, according to Rosatom and the International Atomic Energy Agency.
The four production units at the Gravelines nuclear power plant, shut down in mid-August by a massive jellyfish incursion, are back online, restoring the site’s full capacity.

Log in to read this article

You'll also have access to a selection of our best content.

or

Go unlimited with our annual offer: €99 for the 1styear year, then € 199/year.