The nuclear industry is ready to take a step forward. According to our information, Framatome, a subsidiary of EDF, is about to start construction of a new forge that would be quite simply the largest in the world. A major investment of 600 million euros that will be used to build parts for future EPRs. An XXL forge capable of pressing steel up to 18,000 tonnes, twice as much as the current forge at Creusot.
The project, called “Forge+”, should enable Framatome to manufacture some of the key parts of future EPR reactors, such as vessels or steam generators. Currently, some of this equipment is still manufactured in Japan. This new forge would allow the Le Creusot site to re-internalise all forging activity and gain in productivity and efficiency.
A project in conditions
The project would represent a huge investment of 600 million euros. It is already well advanced: several hectares of land have already been acquired, says a Framatome source. The idea is for the forge to be operational between 2028 and 2029. In short, this project should represent more than 300 jobs at the Creusot plant. However, its completion remains conditional on the State ordering eight additional EPRs, in addition to the six already announced.
The ball is therefore in the court of the new government, which does not seem, a priori, necessarily hostile to this idea. Agnès Pannier Runacher, Minister for Ecological Transition, again spoke out on Monday in favour of such an acceleration of nuclear energy. Contacted, the management of Framatome did not wish to comment.
Source: BFM TV
