Shipments of vitrified high-level radioactive waste from France to Germany as routine shipments with special train service

Delivery of spent fuel elements from nuclear power plants in Germany at the reprocessing facility of COGEMA in Cap de la Hague The first shipment of spent fuel elements to the reprocessing facility of COGEMA in Cap de la Hague took place in 1973 (29. May 1973; one cask from NPP Obrigheim to COGEMA). Since 1979 contracts between the operators of the nuclear power plants and the reprocessing plant in La Hague were in force. These contracts being granted by changing of notes between the government of the Federal Republic of Germany and the government of France. In the mean time the reprocessing contracts have had a value of 5 708 metric tons of heavy metal (spent fuel). The situation in September 2004 shows, that roughly 5 400 t of heavy metal were shipped to the reprocessing facility in France. Up to the new German Atomic Law - in force since 2002 - shipments of spent fuel should be finished June, 30th 2005; it is expected that spent fuel from Stade Nuclear Power Plant – a NPP out of service since November 2003 – will be the last shipment with spent fuel from Germany to France in 2005.