French experiences and perspectives on plutonium recycling in the existing power fleet

Treatment and recycling has been implemented in France from the very beginning of nuclear energy deployment. With the oil shocks in 1973 and 1979, very large scale industrial deployment of LWRs has then been conducted, with now 58 PWRs producing 80% of the total electricity. Modern large scale treatment and recycling facilities have been constructed in the same period: La Hague treatment facilities and MELOX recycling plant. Important industrial feedback results from operation and optimization of fuel cycle backend facilities, which is summarized in the paper. Then are discussed perspectives with recycling.