Nuclear
Critical node· Nuclear · Critical anchor

Orano, Malvési / Narbonne

Narbonne, France43.20°N 3.03°E
computed criticality42/100
reading
≈29% of world conversion services (Orano), world no. 1 in 2024
2024
Fault line

The gateway for almost all uranium processed by France: Malvési produces UF4, converted into UF6 at Tricastin. World conversion rests on just four commercial operators; the shutdown of a single site is enough to tighten the market, as the 2017-2023 decade showed. It is the most concentrated link in the cycle after the heavy forges.

Actors
Orano (Châtillon)
Philippe Coste site (Tricastin)
Depends on 4
Kazatomprom, Chu-Sarysu basinNuclear · Critical anchorSomaïr (Orano), ArlitNuclear · LinkUranium, Rössing & Husab (Namibia)Nuclear · LinkOlympic Dam, copper-uranium-gold (South Australia)Nuclear · Link
Feeds 1
Orano, TricastinNuclear
Shocks endured
Coup in Niger, the uranium of Arlit freezesJul 26, 2023
Sources