EAS-u/PTR Bis
Since 2020, the Ortec Group’s Major Energy Projects Department has been supporting EAS-u/PTR Bis projects across 10 nuclear units. Several of the Group’s engineering and works subsidiaries, including SOM and Orys, are contributing to the program, supported by significant industrial investment. This post-Fukushima program is designed to extend the operating life and enhance safety of France’s nuclear fleet.
Advanced expertise supporting nuclear safety
Drawing on extensive expertise in industrial and nuclear piping, Ortec teams manufacture and install these ultimate backup cooling systems, designed to cool the reactor core if conventional systems fail. This major undertaking brings together advanced expertise in piping, welding and engineering with one clear objective: ensuring that reactor cooling can be maintained even under the most extreme conditions.
KEY FACTS
WHAT IS THE PROJECT ABOUT?
The EAS-u/PTR Bis project is part of EDF’s extensive “Grand Carénage” program to improve the safety of France’s nuclear fleet. EDF launched the program after the Fukushima accident in 2011, in line with recommendations from the French Authority for Nuclear Safety and Radiation Protection (ASNR). The EAS-u program focuses on reactor core cooling, while PTR Bis is designed to cool fuel stored in spent fuel pools.
The aim is to strengthen nuclear power plants’ ability to withstand extreme conditions beyond the scenarios considered in their original design basis. EAS-u/PTR Bis is therefore part of the post-Fukushima “hardened safety core”, which includes equipment designed to ensure the water supply required to cool the reactor core and spent fuel pools if the existing safeguard systems can no longer perform their function.
HOW DOES IT WORK?
In the event of a severe accident, the new independent ultimate cooling system removes residual heat from the containment and maintains reactor cooling. EAS-u/PTR Bis is designed to operate with power supplied by the Ultimate Backup Diesel Generators (DUS), with additional support available from the Nuclear Rapid Response Force (FARN), whose resources can be rapidly deployed to the affected sites.
WHAT IS IT FOR?
EAS-u provides a third cooling system, complementing the existing systems. It adds an additional line of defense to protect the integrity of the reactor and containment. The project is also part of the program to extend the operating life of France’s nuclear power plants, notably through their fourth ten-yearly inspections (VD4).
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ORTEC SUPPORTING EAS-U PROJECTS SINCE 2020
The Ortec Group – a strategic supplier to the nuclear sector and a member of the French Nuclear Energy Industry Association (GIFEN) – has been supporting this major industrial program since 2020, coordinated by its Major Energy Projects Department. This organizational model, designed to make the best possible use of the people and resources required for successful project delivery, had already been implemented for the DUS project, during which the Ortec Group manufactured and installed 36 Ultimate Backup Diesel Generators at nuclear power plants across France.
The EAS-u/PTR Bis contract covers 10 nuclear units, representing 20 ultimate backup cooling systems to be designed, supplied, manufactured and installed. Each project involves up to 160 employees over approximately 18 months, combining SOM’s engineering expertise and Orys’ capabilities in piping prefabrication, manufacturing and installation.
Given its scale, stringent quality requirements and direct contribution to nuclear safety, EAS-u has become one of the most significant projects in the French nuclear sector and a strong showcase for Ortec’s expertise in major energy projects.
Beyond its technical scope, EAS-u also represents a strategic and innovation challenge for the Ortec Group. To meet this challenge, the Group has invested in a 4,000 m² workshop in Pierrelatte dedicated to the manufacture of high-quality stainless steel piping in an industrial environment designed to meet nuclear industry standards, with digital tracking of operations.
The program has also accelerated the development of the team’s expertise in high-quality nuclear welding. The Pierrelatte facility, together with the Briare workshop, will also be a major asset for future EPR2 projects.
With a strong focus on hands-on operational experience, the project draws on regular lessons learned to continuously improve productivity, process repeatability and compliance with the nuclear industry’s quality requirements.
A strategic program for Ortec
The EAS-u/PTR Bis project is a major strategic program for the Group:
- Strengthening Ortec’s position as a leading player in the French nuclear sector
- Developing expertise in high-quality piping and nuclear welding
- Expanding the industrial capabilities of the Pierrelatte site
- Recruiting, training and qualifying new specialist welders
- Preparing for future contracts linked to renewed investment in nuclear power and the EPR2 program
This flagship nuclear program enables the Ortec Group to contribute directly to strengthening the safety of France’s nuclear fleet as part of the Grand Carénage program. It brings together high-level expertise in engineering, prefabrication and nuclear welding while supporting Ortec’s strategy to grow as an integrated nuclear services provider for current and future major energy projects, including EPR2.
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