France

France has 59 reactors in operation and one new one under construction. They contribute around 75 percent to total national electricity production.

The waste is stored in several surface facilities.

There are two near-surface disposal facilities for short-lived low- and intermediate-level waste (L/ILW). Short-lived L/ILW was disposed of at Centre de la Manche between 1962 and 1994 and the Centre de l'Aube facility has been in operation since 1992. For very low-level waste, a repository has been in operation in Morvilliers since 2003. A repository for long-lived L/ILW is currently in planning. Operation is expected to begin by 2019.

High-level waste will be disposed of in a deep geological repository. The aim is to submit a construction licence application by 2015 and to have the repository operational from 2025. Andra (Agence nationale pour la gestion des déchets radioactifs) is operating a rock laboratory in a clay formation at Bure. The potential repository site is in the same area, a few kilometres distant from the rock laboratory location, and is currently under investigation.

Further information:
 

www.andra.fr (Agence nationale pour la gestion des déchets radioactifs)
www.asn.fr (Nuclear Safety Authority)