Missions​

​Created in 1955 and a pionneer in France's nuclear industry history, Marcoule is France's Al​ternative Energies and Atomic Energy Commission reference site for nuclear fuel cycle research (spent fuel processing and recycling and radioactive waste management). Other areas of R&D activity include development of the fuel cycle for future nuclear systems,as well as research in support of industrial partners.​
Furthermore, due to its historic activities in the field of nuclear materials production for military applications, the Marcoule centre is nowadays in charge of operational management of one of the world's vastest program of nuclear facilities dismantling and legacy waste retrieval. CEA Marcoule is located in south of France (The Occitanie region), along the Rhone river.

CEA Marcoule's ​Key figures

• staff : 1,500 (Marcoule site : 5,000)
  
• Budget : EUR. 500 millions
  
• Patents (stock) : 285​
  
• Scientific publications : 300 / year​​
  
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R&D for nuclear fuel cycle

CEA Marcoule provides support to industrial partners to improve the performance of existing fuel reprocessing plants and to assist their engineering teams in proposing competitive new facilities for export.The research involves studies and experimental campaigns carried out in several facilities on the site, including Atalante, the only laboratory of its kind in the world (tens of thousands of square meters dedicated to high-activity chemistry research).

Recognized international expertise in nuclear R&D, as well as in rare earthes and strategic metals (read below) is involved in many international projects and networks, especially in the framework of EU programs such as :​

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Dismantling operations

​It is just as important to be able to dismantle a nuclear facility as to build it. Decontamination and dismantling work on legacy facilities at Marcoule (the first reactors G1, G2, G3, and the UP1 reprocessing plant) constitutes a world's first by the magnitude of the project and by the highly innovative technologies developed and implemented. ​

Development of tools for remote handling in hostile highly radioactive environment and testing platform, such as robot arm with force feedback, laser cutting,etc. The teams also conduct R&D on 3D simulation tools based on virtual reality technologies in order to test the dismantling scenarii: accessability checking, dosimetry calculations.​

Technology transferS

CEA promotes technology transfers formany of its R&D fields. If you are a company interested in getting in touch with some of our experts, notably in the field of circular economy, please use our contact f​orm or discover​
Website ISEC​