La Hague nuclear waste reprocessing plant – the interim storage
The La Hague site is a nuclear fuel reprocessing facility located in La Hague, northern France. The plant has been treating spent nuclear waste from several countries since the 1960s.
Currently operated by AREVA NC, the facility now handles nearly half of the world’s spent nuclear fuel recycling and reprocessing capacity, including waste from France itself, as well as from Japan, Germany, Belgium, Switzerland, Italy, Australia, Spain, and the Netherlands.
The reprocessing plant also separates waste based on radioactive activity and lifespan, applying specific storage solutions for each type. To reinforce the plant’s two recently constructed nuclear waste storage buildings, the main contractor, VINCI – Travaux Publics Cherbourg, opted for Dextra’s 100%-proofed splicing system, Griptec, supplied through its local fabricators in France.
Griptec, full performance rebar couplers for nuclear projects worldwide
For the construction of nuclear projects, full-performance reinforcement solutions are required. This is why Dextra Griptec was the preferred choice for this project, as it is also AFCEN-certified, meeting international standards for nuclear plants. More than 5,000 tons of Dextra Griptec Systems were delivered on-site for the construction of two storage buildings, both intended to store uranium and plutonium.
Griptec couplers are used to reinforce the storage buildings’ walls, as they offer full performance in tension, compression, cyclic loading, and fatigue resistance. This solution leaves no room for error, as each connection is systematically proof-tested by a non-destructive tensile test during the extrusion cycle as part of its standard process, ensuring performance above project requirements.
Moreover, for our customers in the nuclear industry, Dextra provides more than just reinforcement solutions—we also support designers, consultants, and contractors throughout each stage of their construction projects.
For more information about our solutions available in France and Europe, please contact our Paris office.
