CNNC Looks Abroad for Reprocessing, Vitrification

摘要

As French President Emmanuel Macron visited China this week, France’s state-owned New Areva and China National Nuclear Corp. (CNNC) claimed they were close to a contract for a commercial spent fuel reprocessing plant on the scale of the La Hague facility in northern France. Things are so far advanced that construction should begin this year, according to a Jan. 9 statement by New Areva, which runs La Hague (NIW Aug.25’17). Meanwhile New Areva appears to be closing in on a deal for a vitrification plant in Gansu, where legacy reprocessing wastes need attention. It’s unclear whether there’s a link between the two sets of negotiations, but skepticism over the commercial reprocessing talks remains strong considering that they have been in the works for nearly a decade without producing results.