With an experience built up over 60 years in the design and construction of nuclear plants, Framatome is present at every stage of the process. With its highly skilled engineers and operators, the company has completed more than 90 nuclear power plant projects around the world to date.
Framatome’s experts are specialised in the design of the principal items of equipment making up nuclear steam supply systems, and that includes mechanics and metallurgy, neutronics, the scientific calculation work, fluid mechanics and risk and safety analysis. Framatome’s engineering services include the heart of the power plant, referred to as the “nuclear island”, and the main components of the reactor’s primary circuit such as steam generators, pumps, pressurisers, as well as the nuclear reactor pressure vessel itself. Its specialists and technicians are actively involved in major new nuclear power plant construction projects such as the new EPR reactors.
Framatome components equip more than 100 power plants in 11 countries. At its plants in Le Creusot, Saint Marcel and Jeumont, in France, Framatome’s manufacturing plants produce the key equipment for nuclear steam supply systems for electrical utilities all over the world to equip new-build power plants or to replace items of equipment at power plants in operation. The company manufactures advanced technology heavy equipment (reactor pressure vessels, steam generators, etc.) and mobile components (reactor coolant pumps and control rod drive mechanisms). Since 1970, around 10,000 components have been produced at its manufacturing sites by Framatome’s forge workers, machinists, materials technicians, mechanical test technicians, boilermakers and welders.
In 2020, the company continued to ramp up production at its Le Creusot plant in Burgundy, specialising in the manufacture of heavy components for the nuclear industry. The Le Creusot plant also supplies the main forged components for new construction projects abroad, in particular for the EPR reactor project of Hinkley Point C in the UK, as well as parts for replacement components intended for French reactors.
At the same time, Framatome has joined EDF group’s excell plan. This aims to enable the French nuclear industry to have the highest standards of quality and excellence in the management of nuclear projects. In this respect, Framatome component factories are rolling out plans designed to guarantee “right first time” compliance of manufacture and construction. Actions are also being conducted to this end within the supply chain.
An arbitration procedure has been commenced with respect to the manufacturing discrepancy for the HS bottom casing on reactor no. 2 in Fessenheim and the HS top casing to be installed on reactor no. 5 in Gravelines.
In 2019, Framatome launched a programme designed to consolidate knowledge relating to the performance of local stress-relieving heat treatments (SRHT) used in factories and on worksites on equipment supplied by Framatome, after it became apparent that the temperature range was not observed during the application of certain local processes, constituting a deviation from specifications. Three deviations were investigated in 2019 and 2020 for local SRHT processes used on welds on heavy plant. In 2020, two other deviations were investigated on SRHTs for welds on secondary pipes. In consultation with the operators concerned, and within the framework of the regulatory specifications for each component, these deviations are being treated by Framatome, leading to detailed description studies to confirm the mechanical properties of the materials concerned by means of special test programmes. With respect to the components being used, this verification programme of calculations and tests has so far confirmed that the mechanical integrity of the parts in question has not been compromised. Framatome is keeping the operators and the Safety Authorities concerned regularly informed.
See section 2.2.5 “Specific risks relating to nuclear activities” – risk factor 5 A.
Framatome designs, manufactures and installs safe nuclear instrumentation solutions and instrumentation & control systems for plants in operation and new builds.
Its solutions range from safety instrumentation & control systems to automation systems for normal operation, from nuclear instrumentation to lifecycle solutions, from simulators and global I&C engineering expertise to human-machine interface design and human factors engineering. Framatome has installed over 300 complete instrumentation and instrumentation & control systems on reactors of all types worldwide.
In December, Framatome signed a final purchase agreement with Rolls-Royce with a view to the acquisition of its Civil Nuclear Instrumentation and Control (I&C) business, which operates mainly in France, and to a lesser extent in China. The transaction should be finalised at the beginning of the second half of 2021, subject to the usual conditions precedent, including regulatory authorisations(1).
Framatome designs, develops and manufactures fuel assemblies for pressurised water reactors, boiling water reactors and research reactors. The company’s know-how spans the entire process: from the design of the fuel assembly, to the production of zirconium and its alloys – zirconium being vitally important for fuel production – on to fuel fabrication and related services, right through to operations on the nuclear power plants. The company performs all relevant calculations from general fuel management up to dedicated licensing for the highest performance and safety. Over 226,000 Framatome fuel assemblies have been loaded in more than 1000 m² reactors in operation around the world.
In early October, Framatome commissioned its new uranium waste recycling facility at the fuel manufacture site in Richland, USA. Covering an area of over 1,000 m², the building houses advanced processes and technology enabling uranium to be recovered from the fuel manufacture process.
Framatome has substantial international experience working with nuclear safety authorities on all types of reactors currently in service around the world. The company also offers support for operators through relationships with their respective safety authority and in the application of existing regulations in their country of establishment. In France, Framatome has expertise in the application of the Order relating to nuclear pressure equipment (Arrêté relatif aux Équipements sous Pression Nucléaire, ESPN). The company also provides its international customers with technical centers where numerous tests are carried out each year to qualify their equipment. It assists them in the preparation of qualification studies and associated documentation.
Framatome offers innovative solutions and services to maintain and modernise existing nuclear power plants, and extend the lifetime of existing installations, while guaranteeing the safety, performance and availability of operations. Framatome has 60 years’ international experience of all types of technologies and maintenance of more than 300 reactors worldwide. Its teams have expertise and knowledge in maintenance, component replacement, inspections and checks, refuelling operations, and optimised management of reactor shutdowns for maintenance. More specifically, its activities cover supply of fuel assemblies and related services, management of equipment and spare parts, modernisation of I&C and instrumentation, and chemistry and radiochemistry services.
In June, Framatome announced the acquisition of BWX Technologies Inc.’s commercial nuclear services in the United States(2), thus expanding its portfolio of equipment and tooling for nuclear power plant inspections and maintenance which strengthens its position in the nuclear energy industry.
(1) See Framatome’s press release dated 7 December 2020 “Framatome signed an agreement with Rolls Royce to acquire its Civil Nuclear Instrumentation and Control business”.
(2) See Framatome’s press release dated 2 June 2020 “Framatome completes acquisition of BWXT’s US commercial nuclear services”.
