The nuclear moment: building Europe's energy future
Interview with Olivier Bard, General Delegate of GIFEN and Mounir Boukil, Managing Director of Ineo Nucléaire and member of GIFEN's Board of Directors.
The French nuclear industry is experiencing a revival of ambition, marked not only by strong announcements but also by binding timetables. How would you describe this pivotal moment for our country and for Europe?
Olivier Bard: Money time: a decisive moment, because expectations are high and so is our collective responsibility. We have to continue operating the current equipment, inherited from strategic and judicious choices made over 50 years ago, while at the same time developing a complete new program (power reactors, cycle plants, innovative reactors, waste management, R&D...). It's an ambitious and exciting challenge.
Mounir Boukil: This is above all a period of strategic acceleration. The nuclear revival is no longer limited to a technical ambition: it reflects a change of scale and method. For us in industry, the challenge is to combine agility and excellence, from the field to the data. On EDF's "Grand Carénage" Equans projects, and on the extension of Orano's Georges Besse II plant at Tricastin, we're already seeing the benefits of this increased pace: our teams are optimizing processes to keep to schedules, in increasingly complex environments, while maintaining the same high standards.
What are the major challenges we need to meet collectively to make this recovery a success?
OB: The most important challenge is performance, because everything depends on it. Building performance over the long term means giving ourselves the means to master the sine qua non conditions of safety and security, to build faster, to produce more, to be able to innovate, and to be more attractive to those who are going to join us and whom we want to keep.
MB: The main challenge is overall performance: guaranteeing safety, speeding up cycles, innovating and, above all, getting it right first time. In a sector where quality does not tolerate rework, this requirement translates into increased control of processes and greater integration of digital technology. With the e-SIDE solution, for example, our worksites are monitored in real time, and controls are automated. Skills development remains an essential lever: our academies - AFEN for electrical engineering and EVN for nuclear ventilation - train hundreds of professionals every year to meet the sector's safety and quality requirements.
What specific contribution does Equans make to this collective dynamic, and how does GIFEN federate this expertise for the benefit of the industry?
OB: GIFEN has over 600 members. Our aim is to develop a dynamic by providing concrete solutions to the industry's cross-functional issues. It's a collective effort in which Equans shows its commitment. Here are just a few examples: the Nuclear Operational Excellence Program (PEON); the MATCH program, with over 200 suppliers involved and more than 20 working groups defining the actions to be taken; the COACH program to support the intensification of mentoring for new employees; the recent launch of a performance pact as part of the EPR2 program, which was defined collectively and signed by EDF; or, on the international front, the links we are forging with our counterparts to open up opportunities for peer partnerships and development for French companies in the French industry.
MB: Equans actively contributes to this collective dynamic alongside GIFEN, notably through the PEON, MATCH and COACH programs. But our added value lies above all in our ability to pool our expertise: Axima Nucléaire for ventilation and air conditioning, ECIA for design engineering, Mecanuc for mechanical processes, Ineo Nucléaire for electrical systems. Together, these 4 entities form Equans Nuclear, an integrated network of 4,000 experts and 600 million euros in sales, capable of intervening throughout the entire life cycle of installations and providing concrete, integrated solutions to the industry.
In a context where cooperation is key, how can we strengthen synergies between large groups, ETIs and SMEs to avoid silos and create a real industry effect?
OB: GIFEN brings together all companies: nuclear operators, large corporations, ETIs, SMEs and VSEs. Collective work takes place in programs and projects, and within committees where everyone can express themselves and contribute. The framework is there, and the spirit is collaborative and constructive, to the benefit of all.
MB: To break down silos, we need to consolidate a culture of cooperation across the entire industry. GIFEN provides this framework, and we're living it out in the field: at Hinkley Point C in the UK, as on Orano's Aval du Futur project, success is based on complementary skills and trust between partners. This is also the spirit of the collective work carried out around supply chain/supplier days, when we, as Tier 1, share our vision of our customers' projects and make long-term order commitments. These are moments that illustrate the strength of the collective, born of shared experience at every level.
How do you see the balance between asserting national sovereignty and international cooperation?
OB: The two are not incompatible. The French industry (2,000 companies, nearly 250,000 jobs) is strong and recognized enough not to fear competition. It's one of the few complete industries in the world. Nevertheless, international cooperation remains useful, not to say necessary, not only to export and contribute to the balance of trade, but also to share experiences, learn from peers, including the most successful, and where appropriate, forge peer partnerships that can accelerate our quest for performance and make it more robust.
MB: Sovereignty and cooperation are complementary. French expertise, recognized worldwide, is strengthened by partnerships that enrich our know-how and open up new markets. Equans supports this pragmatic approach: cooperation means faster progress while preserving our strategic interests. This is also the purpose of the new partnership between Equans Nuclear and Equans Digital, which combines the industrial power of the group's nuclear network with its digital expertise to unleash the full potential of data, make projects more reliable and strengthen the competitiveness of the French nuclear industry.
What message would you like to send to decision-makers, manufacturers and the younger generation?
OB: Nuclear power holds the key to society's major challenges: climate, sovereignty, industrialization. It also provides new solutions in the fields of healthcare, space and heat production. Investing in or joining the nuclear industry means taking part in an industrial adventure that has a bright future, with exciting jobs for everyone.
MB: Nuclear power is a sector for the future, at the crossroads of technology, industry and meaning. It's a tremendous breeding ground for innovation, creating skilled jobs and technical pride. Joining the sector means contributing to our country's energy sovereignty. We invite talented young people to get involved: the needs are immense, the career paths are open-ended, and training courses like those offered by our business academies open the way to lasting, useful careers. Finally, the support of decision-makers remains essential to guarantee a stable framework and give the industry the means to achieve its ambitions.
