Tubacex has signed an agreement with Électricité de France (EDF), the French public utility company, for the supply of forged critical components intended for the main steam and feedwater systems of the first two reactors of the company’s EPR2 nuclear program.
The contract provides for the production and delivery of high-integrity forged tubular components for these two initial reactors, with the option of extending the supply to future units, always under the supervision and approval of the French Nuclear Safety Authorities.
The award goes to IBF S.p.A., the specialized plant of the Tubacex group in Italy, which has "broad capabilities" to manufacture forged and machined tubular components, as well as fittings and connections intended both for nuclear applications and for other high-performance power generation projects.
As the Basque company has noted in a statement, EDF’s decision is "the result of several years of engineering development and industrial preparation carried out through close technical cooperation between the engineering teams of EDF and Tubacex".
This joint work has covered qualification activities, materials testing, definition and validation of production processes, in addition to the development of the technical and documentary requirements essential for mass production.
With this contract, a stage of several years focused on engineering and qualification is giving way to an industrial supply phase for critical components for the new French nuclear program.
Tubacex will provide components for the VVP, Main Steam System, and the ARE, Main Feedwater System, two of the essential subsystems that make up the two main branches of the secondary circuit of an EPR2 reactor.
The VVP system is responsible for conducting the steam generated in the reactor’s four steam generators to the turbo-generator set, where it is transformed into electrical energy.
For its part, the ARE system returns the condensed water to the steam generators after its passage through the turbine and the condenser, ensuring the appropriate flow rate and water levels so that the water-steam cycle can operate continuously.
All these components will have to comply with "especially demanding" requirements with regard to the behavior of the materials, manufacturing quality, dimensional control, traceability, document management, inspection and long-term reliability throughout their entire service life.
A consolidated collaboration in the nuclear sector
The new contract is based on a long-standing industrial relationship between EDF and Tubacex, which includes supplies both for the maintenance tasks of the currently operating nuclear fleet in France and for the construction of new plants.
On a broader level, Tubacex has provided critical components for benchmark EPR projects in Europe, among them Hinkley Point C, Flamanville 3 and Olkiluoto 3.
The award for the EPR2 reactors adds to this track record and further consolidates Tubacex's role in the European supply chain of equipment for nuclear plants.
For the Basque company, the agreement "strengthens the position of Tubacex as a qualified supplier within a supply chain characterized by especially demanding requirements in terms of quality, traceability, regulatory compliance and reliability during service life".
In the words of Tubacex CEO, Josu Imaz, "this contract is the result of several years of joint engineering and industrial qualification work with EDF and takes our collaboration to a new phase of long-term industrial relationship and confirms Tubacex's capacity to supply high-integrity components for the most demanding civil nuclear applications".
In addition, Imaz has underlined that "participating in the EPR2 program reinforces our position in one of the largest industrial and energy projects in Europe and highlights our capabilities in advanced materials, engineering, manufacturing, traceability and nuclear project management".
This contract represents a new conversion of Tubacex's nuclear pipeline into long-term business and consolidates the firm's positioning לאורך the entire nuclear value chain, which includes maintenance and life extension programs, new high-power reactors and new generation nuclear technologies (SMR).