U.S. plutonium arrives at France's Cadarache

Paris (Platts)--8Oct2004

One hundred forty kilograms of U.S. weapons-origin plutonium arrived at a
high-security fuel complex at Cadarache at 2:30 a.m. today, Areva announced.
The convoy bearing the FS47 cask with the plutonium had left Areva/Cogema's La
Hague reprocessing site in Normandy on Thursday morning. It traveled down the
west coast of France to Bordeaux and Toulouse, then eastward through
Montpellier to Cadarache, under a heavy escort of police, gendarmes, and army.
Armed forces also guarded bridges and highway rest areas along the route,
according to environmental groups that followed the shipment. Protesters were
stationed along the way and at Cadarache, but were under court injunction not
to come within 100 meters of the convoy. Greenpeace, which opposes the
plutonium shipment on safety and security grounds, said Cogema could now no
longer justify lighter protection of civilian plutonium shipments. But a
Cogema source said this shipment was given "more visible" security
arrangements because it was the first one of weapons-stockpile plutonium and
because the plutonium belongs to the U.S. It is to be fabricated in Cogema's
Cadarache and Melox mixed-oxide (MOX) fuel fabrication plants into four lead
test assemblies of MOX fuel for loading next year in a U.S. reactor.

Copyright © 2004 - Platts

Please visit:  www.platts.com

Their coverage of energy matters is extensive!!.