A new spent nuclear fuel storage pool is planned on the Orano site at La Hague. If the project is now recorded by the authorities, a public consultation is underway before it starts. But local residents are worried, because this consultation is more like an information campaign to have the EDF project accepted.
The future pool will be able to accommodate nearly 6,500 tons of highly radioactive and extremely hot fuel on a site of approximately 15 hectares. The start of work is scheduled for 2026 for commissioning in 2034. All at a cost of around 1.25 billion euros, according to EDF.
Despite the recycling of part of the fuel from nuclear power plants, the 56 French reactors still produce 100 tons of spent fuel each year and the current storage sites will reach saturation.