0B005

VIII.A0.003

ANNEX I - CATEGORY 0 — NUCLEAR MATERIALS, FACILITIES, AND EQUIPMENT

0A - Systems, Equipment and Components

EU Regulation No 267/2012

2026-04-12

Plants for the fabrication of nuclear reactor fuel elements, and equipment especially designed or prepared therefor INTRODUCTORY NOTE Nuclear fuel elements are manufactured from one or more of the source or special fissionable materials mentioned in MATERIAL AND EQUIPMENT of this annex. For oxide fuels, the most common type of fuel, equipment for pressing pellets, sintering, grinding and grading will be present. Mixed oxide fuels are handled in glove boxes (or equivalent containment) until they are sealed in the cladding. In all cases, the fuel is hermetically sealed inside a suitable cladding which is designed to be the primary envelope encasing the fuel so as to provide suitable performance and safety during reactor operation. Also, in all cases, precise control of processes, procedures and equipment to extremely high standards is necessary in order to ensure predictable and safe fuel performance. EXPLANATORY NOTE Items of equipment that are considered to fall within the meaning of the phrase “and equipment especially designed or prepared” for the fabrication of fuel elements include equipment which: (a) normally comes in direct contact with, or directly processes, or controls, the production flow of nuclear material; (b) seals the nuclear material within the cladding; (c) checks the integrity of the cladding or the seal; (d) checks the finish treatment of the sealed fuel; or (e) is used for assembling reactor fuel elements. Such equipment or systems of equipment may include, for example: 1) fully automatic pellet inspection stations especially designed or prepared for checking final dimensions and surface defects of the fuel pellets; 2) automatic welding machines especially designed or prepared for welding end caps onto the fuel pins (or rods); 3) automatic test and inspection stations especially designed or prepared for checking the integrity of completed fuel pins (or rods); 4) systems especially designed or prepared to manufacture nuclear fuel cladding. Item 3 typically includes equipment for: a) x-ray examination of pin (or rod) end cap welds, b) helium leak detection from pressurized pins (or rods), and c) gamma-ray scanning of the pins (or rods) to check for correct loading of the fuel pellets inside.