2023-11-17 15:18:18
In the nuclear revival program desired by the government, we will now also have to count on Eiffage. The construction and concessions giant announced, Thursday, November 16, that it had been appointed by EDF to carry out the civil engineering work for the first pair of EPR 2 reactors planned at Penly (Seine-Maritime). Four other units must then be built: two in Gravelines (North) and two in Bugey (Ain).
For Eiffage, this looks very much like the contract of the century, worth more than 4 billion euros, which would make it one of the most important projects in France in the decade to come, following the metro network. of Greater Paris. Especially since the group led by Benoît de Ruffray, known in particular to the general public for having built the Millau viaduct, had until now had little presence in nuclear power, even if it already works with the Atomic Energy Commission ( CEA) on the Iter project, in Cadarache. It is also participating in the raising of the dike surrounding the EDF power plant in Gravelines.
Bouygues, unsuccessful candidate
The result of this market, the consultation of which was launched in 2019, is on the other hand a failure for Bouygues, which had joined forces for the occasion with Vinci and Fayat. Until then, it had been the historic partner of EDF for half a century. He participated in the construction of the entire French fleet and the start of the Chinese program with the Daya Bay power plant. He completed the civil engineering of the Flamanville EPR, after encountering numerous difficulties, and worked on the construction site of the two Hinkley Point EPRs in Great Britain.
« Given the scale of the upcoming construction program, in France and abroad, EDF no longer wanted to depend on a single operator for its civil engineering. », Explains a good connoisseur of the file. In October, the electrician nevertheless responded with Bouygues to the call for tenders for the construction of an EPR (or more), launched by the Czech Republic.
69 structures to be built in Penly
In the meantime, the Penly site promises to be gigantic for Eiffage, with the construction of 69 structures, including obviously the enclosures of two reactors, each with a dome 70 meters high and 50 meters in diameter. There is also the control room and an operations building with 15,000 m2 floor space on six levels.
But before that, the group must excavate the ground and build a concrete slab almost 5 meters thick. In addition to the technical complexity of the work, the issue is also human. Eiffage is preparing to recruit a lot of people, in professions many of which are in tension, particularly in welding, even if the training schools are making enormous efforts.
At its peak, the site should have 4,000 people, with delivery expected at best from 2035, for the first unit. “Eiffage will endeavor to irrigate the local economic fabric and promote local employment and integration”assures the group in its press release, also affirming to reserve 1.3 million hours reserved for the integration and employment of people with disabilities.
The Environmental Authority asks EDF to review its file
The work will be carried out on a site located on the edge of a cliff, where two reactors are already in operation, which does not make the task easier either, even if the nuclear acceleration law, passed at the start of the year, provides for shorten and simplify procedures.
Preparatory work should begin in mid-2024 subject to administrative authorizations being obtained by EDF, says Eiffage. But nothing is less certain. In a notice published on November 10, the Environmental Authority asked EDF to review its copy of the impact study of the work, for local residents as well as for the preservation of the natural environment and biodiversity.
While the project plans to artificialize 24 hectares of seabed, it also recommends presenting avoidance, reduction and, if necessary, compensation measures. The electrician has undertaken to respond in the coming weeks, before the start of the public inquiry, which is due to begin in the first quarter of 2024.
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