17.04.2025

Equans France strengthens reactor safety with expertise in piping, nuclear engineering and complex project management

Construction project for the Jules Horowitz Reactor (RJH), an experimental nuclear research reactor located on the CEA* site at Cadarache.

TechnicAtome, in charge of building the reactor block on behalf of CEA, has selected MECANUC to manufacture the cooling and backup piping systems. The aim of this project is to develop a state-of-the-art experimental reactor, dedicated to the safety and performance of nuclear materials.

Réacteur Jules Horowitz

Technical and organizational challenges

The project presented several major challenges:

Multiple and complex manufacturing and assembly operations on the nuclear site.

Compliance of cooling systems with strict standards.

Sequencing of operations between different batches.

On time and on budget in a constrained environment.

MECANUC solutions for the Jules Horowitz Reactor (RJH): the technical, regulatory, organizational and safety challenges of a high-precision nuclear worksite

MECANUC** mobilized its expertise in the management of complex technical projects, drawing on the experience acquired on the nearby ITER (International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor)site 

Advanced methods and engineering

  • Workshop prefabrication of piping networks for :

    • Ultimate core cooling (RUC A/B)

    • Ultimate Cooling Pool (RUP A/B)

    • Pool cooling (REP)

  • Prototyping of a water block casing, validated via a scale 1 model, facilitating the implementation of sealing plans.

  • Manufacturing and adaptation drawings based on BPE* plans, including all necessary on-site surveys.

Organization and mobilization of technical experts

  • Structured project management based on expertise developed for ITER.
  • Mobilization of experts in :
    • Nuclear welding
    • Nuclear pressure equipment regulations
    • Complex handling

Excellence and compliance

  • Compliance with customer requirements in terms of operational safety: ISO 19443 certification obtained in November 2024, guaranteeing safety, security and technical compliance.

Key figures for the RJH nuclear project: equipment, volumes and resources mobilized

5
years of project duration
25
people mobilized
500
ml of prefabricated piping

Key figures for the RJH nuclear project: equipment, volumes and resources mobilized

5
years of project duration
25
people mobilized
500
ml of prefabricated piping
182
metal supports for 13 tons
2500
network-integrated components
182
metal supports for 13 tons
2500
network-integrated components

Installation of 5 plate heat exchangers, 4 shell-and-tube heat exchangers, 6 pumps, 121 taps, 27 valves and 7 dampers

* CEA: French Atomic Energy and Alternative Energies Commission

**MECANUC: Mechanics division of the Equans France group

BPE*: Bon Pour Exécution

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