Collaboration between academic research and business to better grasp environmental issues relating to the uranium mining cycle

• The CNRS, the University of Poitiers, and Orano have inaugurated an associated research laboratory to develop solutions for better predicting the mobility of uranium and its decay products over the long term in mining context.
• This new LabCom, named M-Cube, represents the continuation of a collaboration that spans over three decades.
• The goal is to optimise each stage of the mining cycle–from exploration to the long-term remediation of sites–all while reducing the environmental impact of mining operations.

 

The CNRS, the University of Poitiers, and Orano inaugurated the M-Cube (Environments and Materials in a Mining Context) associated research laboratory on 7 October 2025 to explore solutions for more responsible operation of uranium mines across the entire cycle, from exploration to remediation. The LabCom will bolster the strong collaboration initiated over thirty years ago between academic research teams and those from Orano.
 

Uranium is central to nuclear energy production, and plays a key role in the energy transition. As global demand for low-carbon electricity increases, uranium needs will also rise in the years to come. Uranium is abundantly-available in the Earth’s crust, but its use faces new challenges. Future deposts are lower grade, calling for changes to existing techniques, as well as the development of new ones. In addition, the naturally radioactive element of uranium requires responsible management after extraction, in order to limit its impact and ensure the long-term environmental safety of operation sites.

By combining micron-level visualization tools for radioactive elements with precise mineralogical and geochemical analyses, the scientists from the M-Cube (Environments and Materials in a Mining Context) LabCom will identify new avenues for optimising the overall mining cycle, from exploring for deposits to the enduring remediation of sites, in addition to operations with a low environmental impact.

 

Long-standing collaboration for the responsible environmental management of the uranium mining cycle.

This collaboration, which dates back over 30 years, brings together complementary expertise. The Institute of Chemistry of Poitiers: Materials and Natural Resources¹ (CNRS/University of Poitiers), a specialist in mineralogy and environmental geochemistry, develops cutting-edge equipment that can map natural radioactivity in rock and certain materials resulting from human activity, such as mill tailings. Orano provides its unique experience as a uranium producer present in the overall mining cycle across continents.

For the next four years, the researchers involved in this new collaboration will work to better predict the mobility of uranium and its descendants in geological formations that are currently or were previously operational. They will especially characterise the key role played by the clay minerals present in the deposits studied (in Kazakhstan, Canada, Mongolia, France, and Gabon, among others). These specific minerals can assume different roles in the mining cycle, serving as indirect markers for the presence of uranium, but they can also be detrimental to the deposit’s exploitation, all while playing a key role in remediating mining sites.

Mehdi Gmar, Deputy CEO for Innovation at the CNRS: “The CNRS is thrilled by the creation of the M-Cube associated research laboratory with the Orano group, which will optimise the mining cycle and reduce its environmental impact. Orano is one of the CNRS’s historical partners, with six active joint research structures, in addition to numerous research collaborations on shared scientific subjects. The signing of this associated research laboratory bears witness to a relationship of trust, and embodies our shared desire to strengthen ties between academic research and social and economic actors.”

Hervé Toubon, Director of R&D and Innovation for mining activity at Orano: “Orano is one of the world’s leading uranium producers, and invests in environmental R&D to provide its clients with supply that is sustainable and respectful of the environment. The LabCom’s creation continues more than 30 years of scientific collaboration with the University of Poitiers, and opens up new prospects for expanding knowledge regarding uraniferous environments.”

 

Virginie Laval, President of the University of Poitiers: “The University of Poitiers welcomes the creation of the M-Cube associated research laboratory with the enterprise Orano, which is in keeping with the 17 associated research laboratories previously created by the University of Poitiers. The university has a voluntarist policy toward innovation and the transfer of results from research conducted in its laboratories. This new structure grew out of the extensive research activity and collaborations that have existed for over 30 years between Orano and the Institute of Chemistry of Poitiers: Materials and Natural Resources (IC2MP - University of Poitiers/CNRS), in particular its Hydrogeology, Clays, Soils, and Alterations (HydrASA) team, on the functioning of uraniferous environments. This LabCom will strengthen the technological research and development interactions between our two structures, in connection with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal #11, “Sustainable Cities and Communities.”  It will notably focus on reducing the environmental impact from the operation of mining sites, and a better understanding of the mobility of radioactive descendants with high specific activity in anthropized environments. The structure will also help further develop collaboration with other academic and industrial partners. A major objective of M-cube will also be to develop training through research on these topics, notably by funding doctoral theses, postdoctoral fellowships, and Master’s internships, especially via the EUR Graduate School, of which Orano is a partner. The signing of this associated research laboratory reflects our shared desire to strengthen ties between the research conducted in university laboratories and those of enterprises.”

1. Specifically the Hydrogeology, Clays, Soils, and Alterations (HydrASA) team, which focuses on geoscience.

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