LOCATIONS
Unit 6 South
Capenhurst Technology Park
Capenhurst, CH1 6EH
United Kingdom
T: +44 (0)1513 633 800
Stetternicher Staatsforst
52428 Jülich
Germany
Tel.: +49 (0)2461 65 0
Planthofsweg 77
7601 PJ Almelo
P.O. Box 30
7600 AA Almelo
The Netherlands
Tel.: +31 (0)546 54 55 00
Site du Tricastin
BP 62
84502 BOLLENE cedex
France
Tel.: +33 (0)4 75 97 68 39
CENTRIFUGE TECHNOLOGY
ETC’s gas centrifuge technology is by far the most efficient method of enriching uranium available.
HOW IT WORKS
Before naturally mined uranium can be used as fuel, it must be enriched to the point where the concentration of one isotope, Uranium-235, is high enough for the fuel to be used in a nuclear reactor.
ETC’s gas centrifuge technology uses highly efficient centrifuges, rotating at high speed. Uranium, converted into a gas, is fed into the centrifuges where it is spun at high speeds. The centrifugal forces inside mean that lighter molecules move to the centre of the centrifuge, while heavier molecules move to the outside. This allows uranium gas with a higher concentration of the lighter molecule to be drawn off.
The process is repeated a number of times to increase the concentration, while depleted gas is drawn off to be recycled in the process. The gas passes through a number of centrifuges in series, known as a cascade. Once the desired concentration is reached, the uranium is processed back into solid form, where it can be transported to a nuclear power plant for processing.
ETC’s gas centrifuge technology
ETC has developed a very efficient and reliable gas centrifuge technology, which has proven its effectiveness over many years of operation. Our technology is proven to be 50 times more energy-efficient than its main alternative, the gas diffusion process.
RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT
As a company ETC invests 20% of its annual revenue on Research and Development, putting us in the very top tier of companies worldwide for re-investment in innovation.
FIND OUT MORE
THE PROCESS
ETC’s technology holds a key position in the nuclear fuel cycle – the process by which natural uranium is converted into fuel that can be used in a nuclear reactor to produce power.
FIND OUT MOREINSIGHT & NEWS
European Commission categorises nuclear power as a sustainable energy source
Following consultations with the member states the European Commission has classified nuclear power as an environmentally sustainable energy source. The decision is part of the EU taxonomy for sustainable activities, a system that mobilises and guides future investments required to achieve climate neutrality across Europe by 2050.
READ MORE
2022: the year of sustainability at ETC
2022 has been set as ETC’s Year of Sustainability, in which the company aims to leverage its skills and expertise in high-tech, clean energy production to make a significant difference to the business’ sustainability performance. CFO Laure Claquin is leading an engaged team of colleagues, drawn from all ETC sites, that plan to deliver a series of activities and events focused on sustainability issues.
READ MORE
ETC Nederland: founder of the Triple T High Tech Academy
In the Twente region of the eastern Netherlands ETC Nederland has collaborated with other local high-tech employers to create a unique new programme to improve the skills of young trainees doing technical roles.
READ MORE