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Summary of our market study
The French nuclear dismantling market is valued at €1 billion.
The global nuclear dismantling market is booming, valued at $6.7 billion in 2022, and is expected to grow at an average annual rate of 6% until 2028.
By 2023, 412 nuclear reactors will be in service worldwide, almost half of them in the USA, France and China.
The trend is for reactors to be dismantled soon after they are shut down, with a total of 209 reactors already shut down by the end of 2022.
France, faced with an aging fleet with an average reactor age of 37.6 years, is preparing for major dismantling activities in the near future.
The nuclear dismantling market in France
France, with its long experience in the nuclear industry, is at the forefront of the nuclear dismantling market.
France's dismantling activities, which are set to intensify over the coming decades, are part of a larger European market, estimated to be worth around €95 billion by 2050.
This represents a market opportunity worth over three billion euros each year.
The current French landscape features many ongoing decommissioning projects, most notably the Fessenheim plant, as well as others that have completed their operating cycle. France will experience an accelerated pace of reactor dismantling between 2030 and 2050.
Three quarters of the French population are in favor of nuclear power generation. This broad acceptance has reinforced the French government's decision to extend the operational life of existing reactors and to commission new ones.
The competitive landscape for nuclear dismantling in France is currently structured around leading operators such as EDF, CEA and Orano, as well as a collaboration of construction and civil engineering groups, service groups and specialized SMEs contributing to the various phases of the project.
Key players in the French nuclear dismantling market
Operators
- EDF (Électricité de France): As the main operator of nuclear power plants in France, EDF not only generates energy, it is also at the forefront of decommissioning efforts. Its subsidiary, Cyclife, focuses on the full range of decommissioning services, from project planning and development to decontamination, dismantling, waste management and site redevelopment.
- CEA (Commissariat à l'énergie atomique et aux énergies alternatives): This government-funded public research organization plays a key role in various areas of nuclear energy, including decommissioning.
- Orano: Formerly known as Areva, Orano is a major international player in nuclear energy, specializing in products and services related to the nuclear fuel cycle. Its expertise extends to the dismantling of nuclear facilities, highlighting a global capability in waste management and decommissioning.
Construction and civil engineering groups
- Bouygues Construction: This French industrial group excels in building and civil engineering, and offers its solid construction expertise to nuclear decommissioning and clean-up projects.
- Eiffage: Recognized as one of Europe's leading construction and concessions companies, it leverages its infrastructure and energy expertise to provide essential decommissioning services.
- Vinci (Nuvia): Global player Vinci, through its subsidiary Nuvia, specializes in nuclear services, including decommissioning. Its expertise ranges from the design and construction of facilities to their decontamination and dismantling.
Service groups
- Veolia (Veolia Nuclear Solutions): Veolia, through its subsidiary Veolia Nuclear Solutions, plays a key role in nuclear clean-up and waste treatment. It offers advanced technological solutions for decontamination and dismantling.
- Onet: As a provider of nuclear decontamination and facilities management services, Onet is equipped to manage the complex processes involved in decommissioning nuclear facilities.
Specialized SMEs or ETIs
- Numerous small and medium-sized companies contribute to this sector as subcontractors to international groups.
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Summary and extracts
1 Market overview
1.1 Definition and scope of study
Nuclear decommissioning is the set of processes involved in the final decommissioning of a nuclear facility, such as a nuclear power plant, after the end of its operational life. This crucial stage ensures environmental safety and the reduction of radiological risks.
The global nuclear dismantling market is currently booming. In 2022, it was estimated at $6.655 billion, and is forecast to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 6.1% until 2028. This growth is driven by the need to dismantle aging nuclear facilities, and by regulatory and technological developments in the sector.globally, there are 412 nuclear reactors in operation, with the USA, France and China leading the way in terms of the number of operational reactors. These countries represent key markets for nuclear decommissioning.
Focusing on France, we observe a market that is still in the process of structuring itself. With an aging fleet of reactors, with an average age of 37.6 years, the country is preparing to undertake significant dismantling actions in the near future. This context creates a favorable environment for the development and refinement of dismantling skills and technologies. However, the government and EDF are attempting to postpone decommissioning activities by extending the lifespan of French power plants.
Nuclear dismantling, however, requires extremely specific know-how, which cannot always be reused from one plant to another due to the diversity of technologies used in different plants. This specificity represents both a challenge and an opportunity for companies in the sector.by developing unique expertise in this field, French companies are ideally positioned to export their know-how internationally, thereby meeting the growing global demand for specialized skills in nuclear dismantling.
1.2 Global overview of nuclear dismantling
As many nuclear power plants around the world approach the end of their lifecycle, the nuclear decommissioning sector is emerging. This process concerns not only nuclear power plants, but also other facilities linked to the nuclear fuel cycle, such as research centers, spent fuel reprocessing plants and waste treatment facilities. Estimates ...
1.3 French and European market size
Dismantling accounts for just *% of total sales in the nuclear industry. In addition, remediation, which includes the removal of hazardous elements from sites prior to decommissioning, contributes a further *.*%[***], the size of the French dismantling market can be estimated at *** million euros in ****.
In ****, a study by Roland Berger estimated the ...
1.4 Nuclear safety during the dismantling phase
Nuclear safety in France encompasses the technical and organizational measures put in place to prevent nuclear accidents or minimize their consequences. These measures apply to all phases in the life of basic nuclear installations, including design, construction, operation, shutdown and dismantling, as well as to the transport of radioactive materials.
Nuclear ...
2 Demand analysis
2.1 Status of French nuclear power plants
France's nuclear power plants comprise ** reactors in operation: ** generate *** MW of electrical power, ** produce **** MW, and the remaining four deliver **** MW.
Distribution of reactors by power output France, ****, in MW Source: ****
A **ᵉ reactor, of the EPR (***)type and with an estimated electrical output of **** MW, is currently under construction at Flamanville, ...
2.2 Nuclear facilities to be dismantled: current situation and future prospects
Current projects:
In ****, ** nuclear reactors are in the process of being dismantled or partially dismantled. There are also ** fuel cycle process plants being dismantled[***].the last reactors to be dismantled are the two Fessenheim reactors, which were closed in **** after ** years of operation.
In June ****, Orano completed the dismantling of the ...
2.3 The future of nuclear generation dictated by energy policies
In the early ****s, warnings of the climate risks associated with the continued consumption of carbon-based energy intensified. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (***) continued to present a gloomy outlook for climate change. In addition, the energy impact of Russia's aggression against Ukraine at the end of February **** underlined the vulnerability ...
2.4 A positive perception of nuclear energy in France
Nuclear power enjoys a good reputation in France, with **% of French people saying they are in favor of nuclear power production in France.
Personally, are you in favor or opposed to the production of nuclear energy in France? France, ****, in Source: ****
We can see that the older generations are the most ...
3 Market structure
3.1 Key stages in nuclear dismantling
Main stages in dismantling a nuclear reactor
According to EDF for a pressurized water reactor
Source: ****
According to EDF, the total duration of stages * and * is ** years. This corresponds to the duration after the Mise à l'Arrêt Définitif et Démantèlement (***). In practice, the dismantling phase, from final shutdown ...
3.2 Industry organization and competitive strategy
Organization of the industry :
In France, legislation provides for immediate dismantling once a nuclear facility has been shut down. Dismantling is the responsibility of the operators (***), but involves a number of different players.
The Groupement des industriels français de l'énergie nucléaire (***) has identified *,*** companies in the French nuclear ...
3.3 Dismantling waste management
We note that **% of the waste resulting from the dismantling of a nuclear reactor is non-radioactive , and is waste that could come from any reactor dismantling.
Breakdown of the volume of waste produced by the dismantling of a **** MW reactor France, in % of ***,*** tonnes of waste Source: ****
The management of low- ...
4 Offer analysis
4.1 Different types of reactors and nuclear facilities
According to Roland Berger, there are * types of nuclear reactors:
power reactors, designed to generate electricity:
These are the main ones covered in this study. The ** French nuclear power plants in operation - with a total of ** reactors in operation - are based on the same model and technology. Reactors are ...
4.2 Nuclear decommissioning costs
According to EDF, the cost of dismantling a *** MW reactor in France is estimated at between *** and *** million euros.
Breakdown of main dismantling costs for a *** MW reactor France, according to EDF, in % of total cost Source: ****
Cost uncertainties persist:
According to Les Echos, the true cost of dismantling is difficult ...
4.3 The impact of robotization on the sector
Robotisation is making a significant contribution to nuclear reactor dismantling operations[***].most players have developed robots capable of performing a wide range of tasks inside reactors. These robots can :
automate radiological mapping of installations; assist heavy deconstruction operations; reduce personnel exposure risks (***); various clean-up, dismantling and cutting operations.
This can lead ...
5 Regulations
5.1 Regulatory framework for nuclear decommissioning
When a Basic Nuclear Installation (***) is definitively shut down, its vocation changes, in accordance with the decree authorizing its creation, which specifies the conditions of its operation. The ensuing dismantling operations modify the risks associated with the facility. As a result, these operations cannot be carried out within the regulatory framework ...
5.2 Summary of the different phases in the life of a basic nuclear facility (INB)
Source: ****
6. Segmentation
- Orano
- Véolia Groupe
- Bouygues Construction
- Eiffage Groupe
- Engie
- ONET Groupe
- CEA
- TechnicAtome groupe
- Vinci Groupe
- EDF
- SOLOXY TRAVAUX INDUSTRIELS-DEMANTELEMENT
- NUVIA (Vinci Groupe)
- Derichebourg Environnement
- IRSN
- ANDRA
- Framatome
List of charts presented in this market study
- Number of nuclear reactors in operation in major countries
- Number of nuclear reactors shut down (permanently) in the main countries
- Number of nuclear reactors under construction in the main countries
- Estimated growth in the size of the global nuclear dismantling market
- Breakdown of the main dismantling costs for a 900 MW reactor
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Latest news
Engie accelerates battery development in the United States - 25/09/2024
- 1. Storage capacity added by Engie in the U.S. since January: 1 gigawatt (GW), bringing total U.S. installations to 1.8 GW.
- 2. Total capacity of Engie installations worldwide: 2.3 GW.
- 3. Engie's renewable generation capacity in the U.S.: 6 GW.
- 4. Percentage of flexibility required*: 20 to 30% for 100 megawatts of installed generation capacity.
Nuclear power: ways to finance France's €67 billion program - 17/09/2024
- - Total estimated cost of the EPR2 program: 67.4 billion euros.
- - Expenditure already committed and planned by EDF: 3 billion euros spent up to the end of 2024, a further 2 billion planned in 2025, and 3 billion in 2026.
- - Unlike the UK model, there are no plans to charge French consumers via their electricity bills during the construction of these plants.
- - No recourse to private funds is envisaged to finance the EPR2s, because France has just renationalized EDF.
- - French public finances would take on a substantial share of the construction risks. France is considering a zero-interest loan for the duration of the construction period to reduce the project's financing costs.
- - EDF intends to finance half of the EPR2 project, in line with a desire not to opt for a 100% regulated model and to retain ownership of these plants over the long term.
EDF to produce Arabelle turbines itself - 29/07/2024
- - Number of employees transferred to EDF: A total of 3,300 employees, including 2,500 in France, affected by EDF's control of General Electric's nuclear activities inherited from Alstom.
- - Capacities of Arabelle turbines: These are claimed to be the most powerful in the world, powering the latest generation of French EPR nuclear reactors as well as Russian Rosatom's VVERs.
- - EDF's stake in Framatome: EDF became a 75% shareholder in Framatome following the breakup of Areva in 2015.
- - To integrate GE's Steam Power division, EDF created a new subsidiary called Arabelle Solutions
Bouygues Construction aims to stand out in the industry - 29/07/2024
- - Bouygues Construction sales: 3.2 billion euros in France.
- - Number of employees at Bouygues Construction: 7,000.
- - Year of creation of dedicated subsidiary Bouygues Bâtiment Industrie: early 2024.
- - Industrial order intake in 2023: 530 million euros.
- - Number of people in the pool of industry experts after expansion: 600 (compared with 450 previously).
- - Geographical areas previously concentrated in personnel: Ile-de-France and Hauts-de-France.
- - Priority sectors: data centers, logistics, food processing.
Engie persuades BASF to acquire biogas for the long term - 05/07/2024
- Biogas contract duration: 7 years
- Delivery location: Ludwigshafen in Germany and Antwerp in Belgium
- - Biomethane use: Replacement of fossil gas in various production processes (automotive industry, packaging, detergents, textiles, etc.)
- - biomethane is almost three times more expensive than fossil gas
- - Number of similar contracts signed by Engie: 5, including one with chemical company Arkema
Nuclear mini-reactor: EDF changes plans for Nuward project - 01/07/2024
- EDF's planned small reactor capacity: 170 megawatts (MW), i.e. 340 MW for a two-reactor power plant.
- Estimated development cost of the Nuward project: in the region of one billion euros.
- Time to market: 2035-2040.
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the nuclear decommissioning market | France
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