Photo: Orano, DELESTRADE CEDRIC Save for later Print Download Share LinkedIn Twitter The drive to replace Russian-supplied front-end nuclear fuel products in the wake of the Ukraine war has prompted speculation about possible enrichment and conversion capacity expansions in Europe and the US. France's Orano is a key producer in both spheres, and pre-war had already invested considerably in new facilities: the Georges Besse II (GBII) enrichment plant in Pierrelatte, France, and the Comurhex II conversion complex split between the Malvesi UF4 plant, in southwest France, and the Philippe Coste UF6 plant, also in Pierrelatte. At the recent World Nuclear Association general symposium Energy Intelligence's Phil Chaffee talked with Jacques Peythieu, who heads Orano's conversion and enrichment business unit, about Orano's market views.
