OPERATION & MAINTENANCE
An experienced industrial player
TechnicAtome supports its clients in the operation and maintenance of their nuclear facilities throughout their entire lifecycle. Safety, availability, performance, and compliance with regulatory requirements: our expertise covers all aspects of facility operations.
Our expertise in operations and maintenance
12 reactors in operation
dedicated teams at the ports
land-based facilities
A partner for operations
TechnicAtome :
- Operates and maintains facilities dedicated to nuclear propulsion and research,
- Offers innovative solutions to facilitate facility operations by incorporating lessons learned,
- Conducts safety assessments and reassessments of nuclear facilities.
Our teams provide services for the operation, management, and monitoring of nuclear facilities, offering operational expertise to scheduling constraints. In Cadarache, TechnicAtome serves as the technical operator for the land-based test reactor (RES) and its associated facilities, which are currently being converted for use in support of nuclear deterrence.
In addition to helping design it, TechnicAtome is also the CEA’s strategic partner for the operation of the Megajoule Laser, a facility unique in Europe that helps ensure the safety and reliability of nuclear deterrent weapons.
TRAINING IN OPERATIONS
TechnicAtome provides training for French Navy crews and industry personnel to support the transition to operational teams taking over the management of nuclear facilities. Our instructors, who come from the company’s operational units, deliver training using full-scale facilities and simulation tools. The training programs cover all phases of a reactor’s or nuclear facility’s life cycle, from commissioning to operational maintenance.
High value-added maintenance services
Drawing on its long-standing know-how, TechnicAtome guarantees design expertise—which ensures reactor performance and availability—and offers innovative solutions to facilitate maintenance operations and incorporate lessons learned.
TechnicAtome offers a wide range of industrial services for the retrofitting of key equipment in the nuclear reactors it designs. Our teams provide support both during routine operation and during outages.
- Project management services, including coordination of construction work, support for maintenance operations, and retrofitting of reactors and facilities.
- Industrial services for the maintenance and retrofitting of reactors equipment.
- Packaging, handling, storage, and transportation, including inventory management and the procurement of spare parts and supplies.
With dedicated facilities in Cadarache, our services include preventive and corrective maintenance on mechanical, electrical, and instrumentation equipment. We also perform testing and compliance inspections, ensuring the quality of our work and adherence to deadlines.
Major technical milestones: iconic landmarks
TechnicAtome participates in maintenance operations on the onboard nuclear preactors of French Navy ships. The “Charles de Gaulle”, in service since 2001, has undergone two major technical overhauls (ATM) in 2007 and 2017.
Every 10 years, therefore, the aircraft carrier systems undergo a complete overhaul, with operations meticulously organized to ensure they are completed within 18 months. TechnicAtome handles the unloading of the nuclear cores and the reloading of new fuel, the refurbishment of the main components of both reactors, and work on electrical, ventilation, and control systems.
TechnicAtome also plays a key role in similar nuclear maintenance operations for the French fleet’s submarines, known as periodic out-of-service periods for maintenance and repair (IPER).