The Front End Operations

Nuclear fuel fabrication includes several stages: uranium mining, uranium conversion into UF₄ and subsequently into UF₆, uranium enrichment, and fuel fabrication. After the fuel has been used in the power plant, it is treated and recycled to fabricate new fuel.

The Front End of the fuel cycle combines the operations of uranium chemistry, conversion and enrichment.

Within New AREVA, the conversion and enrichment operations are performed at the Tricastin - Malvési industrial platform: the AREVA Malvési plant is located in the Aude Department and the AREVA Tricastin plant is in the Drôme department.