Design, project management and commissioning for EPRs

Context and challenges

The EPR (European Pressurized Reactor) is a new generation of pressurized water reactors, producing 1600 MW. It complies with the latest international safety standards and ensures competitively-priced and greenhouse gas-free production of electricity. The EPR allows in particular a 17% reduction in fuel consumption in comparison to 1,300-MW reactors and a 30% reduction in the amount of radioactive waste produced.

The client is a major player in the nuclear industry. Assystem is supporting this client in the design, installation and commissioning of several EPR reactors, both at their engineering centers and at the construction sites in France, Finland, China and United Kingdom (Flamanville, Olkiluoto, Taishan, and Hinkley Point).

Project scope

Assystem is the first engineering supplier of this client on the EPR programme, and is carrying out:

Engineering studies (covering, basic systems design, instrumentation & control systems, cybersecurity and safety, design of mechanical and electrical equipment, etc.)
System engineering processes deployment as well as associated digital tools like PLM
Project management activities (scoreboard reporting, planning, contract management support, configuration management...)
Site support (site engineering, construction supervision, testing…)

Assystem is undertaking activities both on the nuclear island and on the conventional island, working through the various engineering centers of the client as provider for technical assistance, design workpackages, or globally piloting infrastructures and systems design.

Intervening at all project phases enabled Assystem to capitalize on its experience in order to strenghten engineering processes.

Over 2.5 million working hours since 2000

Client benefits

Constitution of a pool of skills of more than 500 employees, specialized in operations and installations safety, as well as all technical aspects, enabling to mobilize easily the best expertise for the client at all project phases
Management of full scopes, enabling the client to focus on its core business
Productivity gains through the establishment of a privileged partnership, implementation of digital tools and systems engineering processes