A trip to France immerses students in unique, hands-on learning experience in nuclear fuel reprocessing

With approximately 68% of their annual electricity coming from nuclear power, France currently leads the world in nuclear energy generation, reprocessing, and recycling. According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA), this is the highest percentage of any country in the world. Supathorn Phongikaroon, Ph.D., professor and director of nuclear engineering programs, wanted to give students the opportunity to learn from France’s nuclear innovations firsthand.
He began organizing a unique study abroad trip that would allow students hands-on experience in France’s world-renowned facilities, giving them an up close look at the technology, processes and advancements in nuclear fuel processing.
Nine undergraduate and graduate students participated in the program, which was split into two sessions. The first session consisted of classroom instruction, teaching students the foundation of basic nuclear operations, the nuclear fuel cycle and waste separation and management. Covering these topics beforehand gave students a better understanding of the type of facilities they would see during the trip. The second session would be the trip itself.
Embarking on the week-long visit to France, students visited the La Hague plant, the world’s largest commercial scale nuclear reprocessing site, and the Melox plant, a uranium-plutonium mixed-oxide (MOX) fuel fabrication plant. Both plants are run by Orano, a French state-owned nuclear fuel cycle company that works on uranium mining, fuel recycling, nuclear logistics and is the world’s second-largest uranium producer.

“This is the first time students had the opportunity to see firsthand the industrial scale nuclear reprocessing facilities,” Phongikaroon said. “Beyond the tour, students were able to actively engage with the technology and processes they studied in the first session of the program.”
Alyssa Cadua, a senior majoring in mechanical engineering, plans to work in the nuclear industry post-graduation. After hearing about the trip, she knew it would be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to learn about the nuclear industry up close.
“I found it to be a really empowering and unique trip,” Cadua said. “Dr. Supy put so much effort into giving us an authentic, French student experience. It didn’t feel like we were just visiting. We stayed in dorms, explored local areas and got to learn about the nuclear industry in a way most students don’t get to.”

During this week-long trip, students enhanced their understanding of nuclear technology and its global development through immersive cultural experiences and practical training in nuclear science. Looking forward, Cadua highly encourages other students to pursue study abroad trips such as these.
“I learned a lot about the nuclear culture in France and how different it is than in the U.S.,” Cadua said. “I would highly recommend this trip to future students. I learned so much and feel much more knowledgeable about the nuclear industry after this trip. In addition, it’s been a great experience to share while networking with peers and others in the industry.”

The Department of Mechanical and Nuclear Engineering provides undergraduate and graduate students with the opportunity to perform real-world research as soon as they enroll. Formed from a partnership with Dominion Energy, the department provides a foundation in nuclear energy, allowing students to choose their educational path with advanced coursework in either mechanical or nuclear engineering. Access to industry tools, like the Nuclear Reactor Simulator Laboratory, grounds education in practical instruction. Browse videos and recent news from the Department of Mechanical and Nuclear Engineering to discover how the College of Engineering at Virginia Commonwealth University prepares the next generation of scientists and engineers for the challenges of the future.
Categories Graduate Student Stories, Mechanical & Nuclear Engineering, Nuclear Engineering, Student Stories, Undergraduate Student Stories