3. Current fuel cycle in France and future "4th generation" cycle (reminder)

3.1 France's current fuel cycle

France's nuclear fleet currently comprises 58 PWRs, with a total installed capacity of 63 GWe. The average annual reference volume of nuclear fuel consumed by these reactors is around 1,200 t of fuel, including around 1,000 t of UO ₂ fuel (Unat enriched to less than 5% in ²³⁵ U), 120 t of MOX fuel [fuel made from plutonium from the processing of spent fuel (CU)] and 80 t of URE fuel (enriched reprocessed uranium made from – URT). The current nuclear fuel cycle is therefore a partially closed cycle with plutonium and TRU recycling, known as the "reprocessing cycle" (§