The French nuclear energy supply chain is ramping up capacity.

The Orano Projects company, a subsidiary of Orano, officially opened its new building on Friday. The ceremony was attended by state representatives, local elected officials, institutional and economic stakeholders from the region, industrial partners, and employees.

“This event marks an important milestone in the major site modernization program in Pierrelatte, launched in September 2024,” said Orano. “This program includes the construction of a new building, a complete renovation of the second building, and by 2027, the renovation of the third building, ultimately providing a fully modernized engineering platform. Its capacity has doubled, increasing from 300 to 600 employees.”

The engineering department of Orano, operating in Pierrelatte since 1986, now boasts a modernized facility. Covering over 5,600 square meters, it offers a functional work environment organized in open spaces to foster collaboration among teams, improve work quality, and fully comply with accessibility requirements for people with disabilities.

Orano stated that the "Le Gardon" building, named after its location, is a vivid example of the group's strong ties with the local community. The €7 million ($8.2 million) project, implemented from 2024 to early 2026, was awarded to local companies, contributing to the economic development of the region.

“Safety has been our top priority throughout the construction process, which was completed without incidents,” said Denis Lione, director of Orano's engineering division in the southeast of the country. “We chose an eco-friendly building, implementing concrete solutions to reduce our environmental impact: photovoltaic panels for power generation, eco-friendly mobility solutions, optimized energy consumption management, permeable parking, and a rainwater collection system. The project was designed by an architect from Pierrelatte and built with the involvement of local companies. This project, developed in collaboration with our employees, is deeply rooted in the local community and supports the rapidly growing engineering division.”

Guillaume Duro, director of engineering, innovation, research and development, and new business development at Orano Group, added: “I am proud to open this new building in Pierrelatte today. It brings together the teams currently working on the group's key projects. To meet our challenges and support the growth of our activities, we aim to hire 600 new engineers in France by 2026.”

The Pierrelatte site is part of a larger real estate investment program being undertaken by Orano to support significant expansion of its engineering activities associated with the revival of nuclear energy. This momentum supports the implementation of strategic projects, such as the expansion of the Georges Besse II uranium enrichment plant, extending the life of nuclear fuel recycling facilities, and modernizing them under the “Future Recycling Cycle” program. This program involves an unprecedented increase in qualifications: 500 engineers and technicians will be hired annually, allowing the group to double its engineering staff by 2030.

New Heat Exchanger Factory

EDF announced an investment of nearly €100 million from its subsidiary Arabelle Solutions for the construction of a new 20,000 square meter plant in Chalon-sur-Saône. The plant will manufacture heat exchangers for the future program of building six EPR2 reactors (and eight additional potential EPR2 reactors) in France, as well as for new construction programs abroad. These investments will create around 160 jobs in the region by 2030.

The plant will produce key equipment designed to optimize heat exchange in the turbine hall of the nuclear power plant, where electricity is generated. This includes moisture separator reheaters, as well as high- and low-pressure heaters. The start of production for the first equipment is planned for 2030. Arabelle Solutions in Chalon-sur-Saône will have the production capacity to supply all this equipment annually for the nuclear power plant.

This project is part of the Arabelle Solutions investment plan and builds on investments announced in January for the site in Belfort, in eastern France. These investments will help equip future EPR2 nuclear power plants throughout the French manufacturing chain. Arabelle Solutions will be able to supply and integrate a complete set of equipment for the turbine hall of the nuclear power plant.

“These investments mark an important milestone for the EDF group and for the revival of nuclear energy,” said EDF CEO Bernard Fontana. “They strengthen the group's manufacturing capabilities to deploy six EPR2 reactors and eight additional potential EPR2 reactors in France, as well as new reactors abroad. In Chalon-sur-Saône, Arabelle Solutions is developing key skills and manufacturing capabilities to produce the required equipment for the turbine hall. This new plant helps structure an integrated value chain, ensuring competitive, sovereign, and low-carbon electricity, which is vital for the energy security of France and Europe.”

In February 2022, French President Emmanuel Macron stated that the time has come for a nuclear revival in France, highlighting the need to extend the operation of all existing reactors without compromising safety and presenting a proposed program for the construction of six new EPR2 reactors with the possibility of constructing eight additional EPR2 reactors later. The first three pairs of EPR2 reactors are planned to be built in the specified order on the Penly, Gravelines, and Bugey sites. Construction is expected to begin in 2027.

Source: https://www.world-nuclear-news.org/articles/french-supply-chain-boosts-capacity