Play a part in energy sovereignty
Nuclear energy helps countries to be energy independent. In France, which generates most of its electricity from nuclear, the country is more than 50% self-sufficient for its energy needs, and nuclear accounts for 70 % of electricity generated in France. The invasion of Ukraine by Russia in February 2022 has however demonstrated the European Union's energy dependence on imports of Russian gas, underlining the urgent need for energy sovereignty.
Energy sovereignty is crucial for me. By having control over our sources of energy and nuclear energy in particular, we guarantee our independence. One of the major challenges in helping us to ensure our energy sovereignty is being addressed on the Orano Tricastin site. This is the project to extend the Georges Besse 2 plant to increase our uranium enrichment capacities by 30%.
Jonathan, Production Support Manager.
Concrete actions we are taking
- Ensure security of uranium supply
With a policy to diversify its mining capacities to ensure security of supply of uranium, Orano guarantees its customers over 20 years' worth of resources and reserves. - Increase enrichment capacities
The expansion of the uranium enrichment capacities of the Georges Besse 2 plant, on the Orano Tricastin site, aims to provide a replacement, as of 2028, for part of the Russian supplies of enriched uranium for the Western market.
- Commit to the recycling of critical metals
Thanks to its technological expertise, Orano is also referred to metals considered to be "critical", such as lithium, nickel or cobalt, which are essential to the production of batteries for electric vehicles or in the manufacturing of magnets containing rare earths. These projects aim to establish sovereign and competitive supply chains for critical metals in Europe to offset China's domination in these strategic components.
