Nearly 10% of France's nuclear electricity is generated from these recycled materials

On February 28, in Bethesda, Maryland, the Orano Group, an internationally recognized operator in nuclear materials, and SHINE Technologies, a US-based company specializing in sustainable energy solutions, entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to collaborate on developing a pilot plant in the USA. The aim is to implement a technology for recycling used nuclear fuel from light water reactors. The recovered material from the used fuel will be suitable for fabricating new nuclear fuel for both advanced and existing reactor designs. Additionally, certain radioactive isotopes extracted during the process could find application in other industrial and medical sectors.

Expected to commence operations in the early 2030s with a processing capacity of 100 metric tons per year, the pilot facility will validate the innovative recycling process, including safety and nonproliferation measures. The facility will merge SHINE Technologies' proven nuclear materials separation technology with Orano's operational and technical expertise from its La Hague site in France, where over 40,000 metric tons of used nuclear fuel have been reprocessed. Site selection for the pilot facility is anticipated by year-end. The United States, once a leader in processing and recycling used fuel in the 1960s, halted operations in 1972. This agreement marks a pivotal step towards revitalizing the industrial sector for used nuclear fuel processing and recycling on US soil.