ASTRID (reactor)

Marcoule Nuclear Site (French: Site nucléaire de Marcoule) is a nuclear facility in the Chusclan and Codolet communes, near Bagnols-sur-Cèze in the Gard department of France, which is in the tourist, wine and agricultural Côtes-du-Rhône region. The plant is around 25 km north west of Avignon, on the banks of the Rhone. Operational since 1956, Marcoule is a gigantic site run by the atomic energy organization Commissariat à l'Énergie Atomique (CEA) and Areva NC and is known as CEA VALRHO Marcoule. The first industrial and military plutonium experiments took place in Marcoule. Diversification of the site was started in the 1970s with the creation of the Phénix prototype fast breeder reactor, which was operational until 2009, and is nowadays an important site for decommissioning nuclear facilities activities. As of 2016 the Phénix reactor was planned to be succeeded by the sodium-cooled fast reactor ASTRID (Advanced Sodium Technical Reactor for Industrial Demonstration), foreseen to become operational in the 2030s. However, in 2019 the ASTRID project was closed.Since 1995, the MELOX factory has been producing MOX from a mix of uranium and plutonium oxides. MOX is used to recycle plutonium from nuclear fuel; this plutonium comes from the COGEMA La Hague site. The ATelier Alpha et Laboratoires pour ANalyses, Transuraniens et Etudes de retraitement (ATALANTE) is a CEA laboratory investigating the issues of nuclear reprocessing of nuclear fuel and of radioactive waste.

Phénix (French for phoenix) was a small-scale (gross 264/net 233 MWe) prototype fast breeder reactor, located at the Marcoule nuclear site, near Orange, France. It was a pool-type liquid-metal fast breeder reactor cooled with liquid sodium. It generated 590 MW of thermal power, and had a breeding ratio of 1.16 (16% more plutonium produced than consumed), but normally had to be stopped for refueling operations every two months. Phénix continued operating after the closure of the subsequent full-scale prototype Superphénix in 1997. After 2004, its main use was investigation of transmutation of nuclear waste while also generating some electricity. Phénix was shut down in 2009.The decommissioning project started in 2005. Between 2009 and 2011, the non-nuclear equipment and turbine hall were dismantled. The decommissioning license was expected for 2015. Finalising of the decommissioning process is expected between 2031 and 2043.

Codolet (French pronunciation: [kɔdɔlɛ]) is a commune in the Gard department in southern France.

Chusclan (French pronunciation: [ʃysklɑ̃]) is a commune in the Gard department in southern France.

The Cèze (French pronunciation: [sɛz]; Occitan: Céser) is a karstic French river, a right tributary of the Rhône. It runs through the departments of Lozère and Gard in the Occitanie region. It is 128 km (80 mi) long, and its basin area is 1,360 km2 (530 sq mi). Its source is in the Cévennes mountains, near Saint-André-Capcèze. It flows through Bessèges, Saint-Ambroix, Bagnols-sur-Cèze, and it flows into the Rhône at Codolet, southwest of Orange. Its longest tributaries are the Luech, Auzon, Tave, Ganière and Aiguillon.In the dry season, the Cèze sometimes dries up.

Saint-Étienne-des-Sorts (French pronunciation: [sɛ̃.t‿etjɛn de sɔʁ]; Provençal: Sent Estève dei Sòrbs) is a commune in the Gard department in southern France.

The Aigues (French pronunciation: [ɛɡ]), Aigue, Aygues or Eygues is a French river, a tributary of the Rhône. It runs through the departments of Drôme, Hautes-Alpes and Vaucluse. Its source is in the Baronnies mountains. It flows through Verclause, Sahune, Nyons, and it flows into the Rhône at Caderousse. It is 113.7 km (70.6 mi) long. Its drainage basin is 1,012 km2 (391 sq mi).Several spellings of the name are in use: the French national map service Géoportail shows both "l'Aigues" and "l'Aygues" on maps of the same area near Orange, and the village name of Saint-Maurice-sur-Eygues preserves another variant. Among its tributaries is the Lauzon.

Caderousse (French pronunciation: [kadʁus]; Occitan: Cadarossa) is a commune in the Vaucluse department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region in southeastern France. Caderousse is located 6 km (3.7 mi) west of Orange on the river Rhône.

Piolenc (French pronunciation: [pjɔlɛ̃k]; Occitan: Puegoulen) is a commune in the Vaucluse department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region in southeastern France. Piolenc is located 6 km (3.7 mi) north of Orange, and about 27 km (17 mi) north of Avignon.

Mornas (French pronunciation: [mɔʁnas]; Occitan: Mornats) is a commune in the Vaucluse department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region in southeastern France.

Vénéjan (French pronunciation: [veneʒɑ̃]; Occitan: Venejan) is a commune in the Gard department in southern France.

Saint-Geniès-de-Comolas (French pronunciation: [sɛ̃ ʒənjɛs də kɔmɔlas]; Occitan: Sent Genièis de Comolaç) is a commune in the Gard department in southern France.