Tricastin deconversion (W plant)
Capacity
20,000tU/yr
Tricastin deconversion (W plant) is a deconversion facility operated by Orano in France. It has a capacity of 20,000 tU/yr as of 2022.
Converts depleted UF6 tails back to a stable oxide for long-term storage. Every tonne of enriched uranium leaves roughly seven tonnes of depleted tails behind, and this is where they are made safe to store.
Facility
| Stage | Back end |
|---|---|
| Operator | Orano |
| Country | France |
| Capacity | 20,000tU/yr |
| Figure applies to | 2022 |
| Status | operating |
| Commissioned | not stated |
| Coordinates | 44.3300, 4.7200 |
Position in the chain
No disclosed capacity, so its share of world deconversion capacity cannot be stated.
Orano also operates:
- Malvési and Philippe Coste (Tricastin) (conversion)
- Georges Besse II, Tricastin (enrichment)
- Project IKE, Oak Ridge (enrichment)
- Moinkum and Tortkuduk (KATCO) (mining)
- La Hague (reprocessing)
Other deconversion facilities
| Facility | Capacity | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Urenco ChemPlants, Capenhurst | 10,000tU/yr | operating |
Sources
- World Nuclear Association, Conversion and Deconversion · retrieved 2026-09-06