What Orano S.A. does

Orano S.A. is a French privately-held Société Anonyme, headquartered in Châtillon (France) and operating the full closed nuclear fuel cycle — uranium mining, conversion (Philippe Coste plant at Tricastin, Malvési), enrichment (Georges Besse II, Europe's largest), spent fuel recycling (La Hague), and MOX fuel fabrication (Melox). The company was rebranded from AREVA in 2018 and runs a network of wholly-owned subsidiaries including Orano Med (nuclear medicine for cancer therapies), CIME (extractive metallurgy R&D in Bessines-sur-Gartempe), LEA (Laboratoire d'Etalons d'Activité, radioactive sources at Tricastin), Orano Projets (engineering services across Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines, Equeurdreville, Bagnols-sur-Cèze, and Great Britain), Triade (decontamination workshop at Bollène), Oxilio (services for non-electronuclear radioactivity users), and Orano Isotopes Stables (stable isotope production).

The company's business model is B2B enterprise direct sales to nuclear utilities, government research institutes, and industrial clients across more than 35 countries. Revenue streams include long-term nuclear fuel supply contracts (subscription/recurring), professional engineering services, manufacturing and sale of radioactive sources and standards, decommissioning and waste management services, and emerging lines in nuclear medicine, EV battery recycling, and strategic metals valorization. Pricing is quote-based and negotiated under long-term supply contracts; no public pricing is disclosed. Orano positions itself as a top-3 global operator in the nuclear fuel cycle, with multi-billion-euro revenues (described as "€4 billion+"), supported by significant regulatory credentials (ASN authorization, COFRAC accreditation, ISO 9001/14001/17025, EURATOM, CEFRI-E).

Commercial reach is anchored by a direct enterprise sales motion targeting EDF, Framatome, and other nuclear operators and OEMs (Siemens, GE, Philips for medical sources), supplemented by specialized distribution partnerships (QSA Global, RITVERC, Radqual) and regulatory partnerships (ASN, IRSN, ANDRA, LNHB). Capital deployment is accelerating into adjacent verticals: a €30M CIME R&D center investment, a €125M EIB loan to Orano Med (2026), and new industrial pilots in stable isotope production and EV battery recycling, alongside a stated 25% Scope 1&2 CO2 emission reduction target by 2025.

Name

Orano S.A.

Legal name

Orano

Website

https://orano.group

Company type

Private

Founded year

2001

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Orano S.A. is a French privately-held company operating the full closed nuclear fuel cycle (uranium mining, conversion, enrichment, recycling, MOX) and serving global nuclear utilities, government research institutes, and industrial clients. It extends nuclear expertise into nuclear medicine (Orano Med), radioactive sources (LEA), engineering (Orano Projets), and strategic metals.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Nuclear Fuel Cycle Services

NAICS

Basic Chemical Manufacturing (3251), Chemical Manufacturing (325)

SIC

Hazardous Waste Management (4955)

akta.pro primary industry

Nuclear Fuel Cycle for Power Generation (Uranium, Conversion, Enrichment, Fuel Fabrication) (EUACADAK)

Keywords

• Nuclear fuel cycle services
• Uranium conversion enrichment
• Spent fuel recycling
• Radioactive source manufacturing
• Nuclear medicine production

Headquarters

HQ city

Châtillon

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices14 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Nuclear Fuel Cycle Products and Services: Orano's primary revenue driver: uranium production and commercialization, conversion, enrichment, and spent fuel recycling services for nuclear power operators worldwide.
2. Engineering and Project Services: Engineering consulting, owner supervision, design and construction engineering, commissioning support, and operational assistance for nuclear facilities.
3. Radioactive Sources and Standards (LEA): Manufacturing and sale of catalog and custom radioactive sources for medical, nuclear, industrial, and research applications, including calibration and characterization services.
4. Medical Nuclear Medicine (Orano Med): Developing and commercializing nuclear medicine therapies for cancer treatment through Orano Med subsidiary.
5. Non-Electronuclear Nuclear Services (Oxilio): Decommissioning, decontamination, radiation protection, maintenance and radioactive waste management services for non-nuclear electricity users of radioactivity.
6. Strategic Metals Valorization: Recycling of electric vehicle batteries and manufacturing of permanent magnets from recycled materials.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Orano operates the complete nuclear fuel cycle — from uranium exploration and mining, through conversion and enrichment, to recycling of spent nuclear fuel into MOX fuel — alongside specialized engineering, decommissioning, packaging and transport services. The group also extends its nuclear expertise into adjacent activities: medical isotopes and cancer therapies (Orano Med), radioactive sources for industrial and medical use (LEA), electric-vehicle battery recycling, stable isotopes production, and extractive metallurgy R&D (CIME).

Product overview

Orano is a major player in nuclear energy and the nuclear fuel cycle, operating as a platform-plus-divisions architecture across the entire fuel chain — from uranium exploration and mining through conversion, enrichment, spent fuel recycling (producing MOX fuel), and dismantling — as well as a full range of specialized services (nuclear packaging and transport, engineering, specialized maintenance). The group also extends beyond the fuel cycle into nuclear medicine (Orano Med), strategic metals recovery including EV battery recycling, extractive metallurgy innovation (CIME), radioactive sources (LEA), stable isotopes production, and digital tools for non-electrical nuclear users (Oxilio). The portfolio is organized into clearly delineated business lines and subsidiaries rather than a single unified software product.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Orano LEA: Laboratoire d'Etalons d'Activité - radioactive sources for medical, nuclear, industrial, environmental, radioprotection and research applications
• Orano CIME
• Orano Oxilio
• Orano Isotopes Stables
• Orano Projets
• Triade
• Orano Med

Products and services

• Uranium Mining
• Uranium Conversion and Enrichment
• Spent Fuel Recycling and MOX Fuel Manufacturing
• Nuclear Packaging and Transport Services
• Nuclear Site Dismantling and Decommissioning
• Specialized Assistance and Maintenance for Nuclear Sites
• Nuclear and Non-Nuclear Engineering Services
• Orano Med — Nuclear Medicine for Cancer Therapy
• Strategic Metal Recovery (EV Battery Recycling and Permanent Magnets)
• Orano Projets — Fuel Cycle Engineering
• Triade — Decontamination and Low/Medium Activity Waste Treatment
• Oxilio — Services for Non-Electrical Nuclear Users
• CIME — Extractive Metallurgy R&D and Industrial Pilots
• LEA — Radioactive Sources Manufacturing and Calibration
• Stable Isotopes Production

Quantifiable outcome

• End-2023 energy consumption decreased ~5% vs 2019 baseline despite higher production levels
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles6 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature9 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• FRAMATOMEcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFRAMATOME collaborates with Orano NPS and LEA on manufacturing and delivering Primary Neutron Source (PNS) rods for EPR reactors. LEA fabricates 252Cf neutron sources in Russia or the US, with final rod assembly performed at LEA's facility.
• LNHB (Laboratoire National Henri Becquerel)coreTechnology or IntegrationLNHB is France's national metrology institute (equivalent to NIST or PTB). Orano's LEA maintains metrological traceability to the SI through calibration with LNHB, which is itself COFRAC-accredited for ionization radiation calibration.
• FRAMATOME / Orano NPScoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThree-party collaboration for EPR Primary Neutron Source rods: FRAMATOME provides reactor expertise, Orano NPS handles sourcing, and LEA manufactures the source rods.
• ASN (Autorité de Sûreté Nucléaire)coreOthersFrench nuclear safety authority that authorizes LEA and other Orano entities for nuclear activities under the Code de la Santé Publique. ASN authorization (F530042) covers manufacture, distribution, import, and export of radionuclides.
• IRSN (Institut de Radioprotection et de Sûreté Nucléaire)minorOthersFrench nuclear safety institute that handles regulatory declarations and manages certain radioactive source supply procedures in France. LEA works with IRSN for regulatory paperwork.
• ANDRA (Agence Nationale pour la Gestion des Déchets Radioactifs)minorOthersFrench national radioactive waste management agency. Orano's Triade directs treated nuclear waste to appropriate ANDRA or Socodei disposal pathways.
• QSA GlobalminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorQSA Global supplies petroleum well logging radioactive sources (60Co, 137Cs, AmBe, 252Cf) distributed by LEA in the oil and mineral exploration sector.
• RadqualminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorRadqual supplies 68Ge calibration sources for PET scanner activimeters, distributed by LEA for medical imaging equipment (Siemens, GE, Philips).
• Primary Neutron Source (PNS) EPR Program PartnerscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOrano La Hague uses multiple high-activity 60Co sources (>5 TBq) at various stations to inspect the cleanliness of dissolution wheels in the spent fuel processing procedure. LEA and its partners provided a turnkey solution including source supply, mounting, replacement, transport in specific containers, and used source elimination.
• Ecowatt InitiativeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerOrano became a partner of the Ecowatt energy sobriety initiative in autumn 2022, implementing complementary energy-saving measures across all its sites in response to electricity supply security concerns.

Scale indicators12 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Centrus Energy: US-based enricher and supplier of SWU and LEU/HALEU for commercial and government customers. Centrus is a smaller-scale but strategically important enrichment peer, particularly relevant as Western HALEU capacity becomes a geopolitical priority.
• Kazatomprom: World's largest uranium producer by volume, listed in London and Astana. Kazatomprom competes with Orano's uranium mining arm in global utility supply contracts and increasingly in conversion, making it the primary upstream competitor.
• BWX Technologies: US-based supplier of nuclear components and fuel including naval and microreactor fuels. BWXT competes with Orano in fuel fabrication and nuclear component manufacturing for specialized applications.
• Urenco: European enrichment consortium operating centrifuge plants in Germany, Netherlands, UK, and USA. Urenco is Orano's principal direct competitor in uranium enrichment, competing with the Georges Besse II facility for global utility enrichment contracts.
• Framatome: France-based nuclear reactor and fuel services business, historically a sibling entity to Orano under AREVA. Framatome both competes with and partners with Orano — purchasing MOX fuel while also supplying fuel assembly services to the same utility customers (notably EDF).
• Cameco: One of the world's largest uranium producers and a major nuclear fuel cycle participant. Cameco competes with Orano across uranium mining and conversion, and via its Westinghouse partnership, increasingly across reactor services — making it the closest Western peer across Orano's fuel cycle footprint.

Emerging players

• Jacobs Solutions (Critical Mission Solutions): Engineering and technical services provider with significant nuclear decommissioning and site services operations. Jacobs overlaps with Orano Projets in nuclear engineering services, decommissioning project delivery, and waste management consulting.

Broad incumbents

• Rosatom / TENEX: Russia's state-owned vertically integrated nuclear corporation covering uranium mining, conversion, enrichment, and fuel fabrication. Rosatom is the largest state-backed full-cycle competitor to Orano globally, with significant market share in emerging-market fuel supply.
• Westinghouse Electric Company: Nuclear reactor OEM and fuel services provider, now majority-owned by Brookfield/Cameco consortium. Westinghouse competes with Orano in fuel design and fabrication, and through the Cameco partnership, across the broader Western fuel cycle.

Regional players

• TVEL: Rosatom's nuclear fuel fabrication subsidiary, dominant in Russian and Eastern European markets. TVEL competes with Orano's Melox/MOX business in markets not aligned with Western sanctions regimes, but does not directly compete in Western utility RFPs.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/Oranogroup
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/AREVAmultimedia
• Facebookfacebook.com/Oranofrance
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/areva
• Instagraminstagram.com/orano.group
• TikToktiktok.com/@oranogroup

Compliance12 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Subsidiaries9 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Orano S.A.