Framatome Opens EUR 30 Million Chromium-Coating Facility at Paimboeuf

New Facility Targets Fuel Cladding Industrialisation

Framatome has opened a EUR 30 million (USD 33.5 million) industrial pilot facility at its Paimboeuf site in France dedicated to chromium-coating zirconium alloy cladding tubes used in nuclear fuel assemblies. The process applies chromium via physical vapour deposition and is designed to reach an annual output of more than 100,000 coated tubes.

The facility is intended to complete the industrialisation of the coating process and validate its robustness under conditions representative of full-scale production. Industrial qualification is scheduled for completion by the end of 2026, with series production targeted to begin in early 2027.

The Paimboeuf site already manufactures zirconium alloy components for fuel assemblies supplied to nuclear operators in France and internationally. The cladding tubes produced there form the first confinement barrier around nuclear fuel, and the addition of chromium-coating capability is described by Framatome as extending the site's strategic role in the nuclear fuel value chain.

PROtect E ATF Technology Background

The chromium-coated cladding is central to Framatome's PROtect Enhanced Accident Tolerant Fuel (PROtect E ATF) technology, developed in collaboration with CEA, the French Alternative Energies and Atomic Energy Commission. The technology can also incorporate chromium oxide-enhanced uranium pellets at operator request.

Accident tolerant fuel designates a class of technologies aimed at improving the safety and performance of nuclear fuel through new cladding materials and fuel pellet designs. Framatome's PROtect technology is reported to improve oxidation resistance, enhance mechanical performance at elevated temperatures, and reduce hydrogen generation in loss-of-coolant scenarios. Development has received support from the French Recovery Plan and the United States Department of Energy.

Operational Milestones Across Multiple Reactors

Reactor irradiation of PROtect fuel rods began in 2019 at the Gösgen plant in Switzerland and at the Vogtle plant in the United States. In 2021, the first complete PROtect E ATF fuel assembly was loaded at the Calvert Cliffs plant in the United States. From 2023, four lead fuel assemblies were introduced into the French pressurised water reactor fleet as part of a joint programme with EDF.

In 2024, the technology completed a third consecutive 18-month fuel cycle at the Vogtle plant, representing the first full lifecycle of operation for the world's first full-length PROtect E ATF fuel rods. During the same year, the Gösgen plant recorded operation of full-length PROtect E ATF rods above 60 GWd/tU, described as a first for any ATF technology globally.

Framatome states that more than ten years of research and operational experience across six reactors worldwide underpin the move toward industrial-scale production at Paimboeuf.

Doosan Enerbility Contracts to Fabricate Upper Reactor Coolant System for NuScale SMR

Contract Scope and Facility

Doosan Enerbility has entered into a manufacturing agreement with NuScale Power covering production of the upper reactor coolant system, the component that forms the upper section of the reactor pressure vessel and contains reactor coolant under high-temperature, high-pressure conditions. Fabrication will be carried out at Doosan Enerbility's nuclear production facility in Changwon, South Korea, where a signing ceremony attended by senior executives from both companies was held.

The agreement represents a progression in the two companies' collaboration. A 2023 contract covered the manufacture of materials for the small modular reactor programme; the new arrangement moves into the fabrication of reactor components intended for commercial deployment.

Programme Background

The partnership between the two companies dates to 2019, during which time they have jointly developed manufacturing processes, supply-chain arrangements, and production infrastructure to support deployment of the NuScale Power Module (NPM). The NPM is a pressurised water reactor that integrates steam generation and heat exchange into a single unit rated at 77 MWe. In September 2020 it became the first SMR design to receive design approval from the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission. NuScale offers the modules in multi-unit plant configurations, including a twelve-module VOYGR-12 plant capable of generating 924 MWe, as well as four- and six-module variants.

Doosan Enerbility had previously placed a long-lead production order for an upper reactor pressure vessel in March 2023 in connection with the Carbon Free Power Project in the United States, a six-module plant that was subsequently cancelled by mutual agreement in November 2023. NuScale has stated its intention to transfer those modules to its next customer.

Romania Deployment and Manufacturing Readiness

The first-of-a-kind NuScale SMR project is now planned for construction at a former coal plant site in Doicești, Romania, making it the reference deployment for the commercial NPM programme.

Both parties indicated that manufacturing capacity will need to scale significantly as the programme advances. Doosan Enerbility noted plans to strengthen its supply chain and manufacturing readiness to support follow-on orders. NuScale's president and chief executive described the agreement as a meaningful step in converting the approved design into deliverable modules, citing Doosan Enerbility's manufacturing facility and the process maturity developed since 2019 as key enablers for meeting customer delivery schedules.

Thyrocare Tech Q2: Revenue Jumps 27%: What's Driving The Growth? | CEO Explains PAT Hit | ET Now

Loading the player connects to YouTube. Playback will not start automatically.

Watch on YouTube