“Reviving nuclear power is not about reinventing the wheel: it is about replicating what works, with safety as the foremost principle” An unprecedented context of industrial revival On February 10, 2022, in Belfort, President Emmanuel Macron announced the construction of six EPR2 reactors and the study of eight additional units. This speech, part of the national strategy for reindustrialization and energy sovereignty, marked the turning point for a sector that had been dormant for several decades. With the exception of the Flamanville 3 project, launched in 2007 and entering the final commissioning phase in 2024 after more than ten years of delays, France had not built a new reactor since the late 1990s. As a result, industrial and technical know-how has diminished, a direct consequence of decades of low activity and underinvestment in the sector. Parliamentary reports (Senate/OPECST, Court of Auditors) have confirmed this loss of skills linked to low activity and the decline in the number of specialized nuclear engineers being trained. The example of the Melox plant (Gard), operated by Orano and dedicated to manufacturing MOX fuel, has become emblematic: the company acknowledged the need to rebuild capabilities for certain critical operations. More broadly, the winter of 2022–2023 acted as a wake-up call: up to 32 of 56 reactors were shut down, revealing the vulnerability of an ageing fleet and the urgent need to revive the sector to ensure national energy autonomy. This revival goes beyond the construction of EPR2 units alone: it involves the entire value chain, from the fuel cycle to maintenance, including training and the ramp-up of subcontractors. Mastering what exists rather than innovating at any cost Today, industrial players share the same conviction: it is better to replicate perfectly than to try at all costs to reinvent. In a sector where safety is paramount, innovation only makes sense if it is controlled. The EPR2 project illustrates this well: it simplifies and improves the reliability of the original EPR design, whose complexity had generated considerable cost overruns and delays. At present, Ametra Group’s clients expect our experts to be able to replicate what works, without taking unnecessary risks. The challenge is rigour: zero surprises, zero drift. Sustainability-Resilience, Aval du futur…: the major nuclear programmes currently underway The French revival is now structured around several major programmes: These projects follow the same logic: preparing for the future without weakening the present, ensuring continuity of operations for the fleet and plants while launching tomorrow’s infrastructure. Ametra, a long-standing partner of the French nuclear industry Ametra is one of the few engineering players to have never left the nuclear sector.Even during periods of slowdown in the industry, the company continued to invest in it, which helped maintain a foundation of skills and safety processes—now a major asset. Ametra’s engineering office has, in fact, devoted 50 to 60% of its activity to nuclear for decades, with in-depth mastery of the sector’s specific codes and standards. This continuity has enabled the company to preserve a genuine nuclear culture, a decisive advantage at a time when the industry is recruiting on a massive scale. Ametra also complies with the requirements of ISO 19443, the international quality standard dedicated to the nuclear sector, already adopted by several major industry players. Geographical proximity and on-site support Supporting industrial players also means being present as close as possible to key sites.Ametra has therefore strengthened its presence in the main nuclear activity hubs: Supporting also means being “where it happens”. Our teams are on the ground, in direct contact with industrial players, to ensure responsiveness and technical consistency. A necessity: passing on and capitalizing on nuclear know-how The nuclear revival cannot succeed without intergenerational knowledge transfer. At Ametra, this approach is based on a structured transfer of skills: the most experienced engineers (sometimes with more than twenty years in nuclear) mentor new recruits to pass on safety reflexes and documentary rigour. This model is all the more strategic as the sector is now facing a shortage of qualified talent. According to GIFEN and the Ministry of Labour, the sector will need to recruit 10,000 to 15,000 new professionals per year over the coming decade—almost double the number of young graduates leaving schools each year. Ametra contributes to this collective effort by supporting profiles from other industrial sectors: special-purpose machinery, pressure equipment, agricultural machinery, heavy industry… These engineers, already familiar with robustness and traceability requirements, then acquire the “nuclear layer” through internal training. Industrial rigour in service of nuclear power In nuclear, safety is not just a protocol: it is a shared culture at every level of the project. As an Ametra manager points out, “even the person who tightens a screw must understand why they are doing it and how their action contributes to overall safety”.. Within the Group, this requirement is expressed through three complementary pillars: This approach anchors safety over the long term: it is not based solely on regulatory compliance, but on a collective mindset shared by all Ametra teams and their partners. Ametra, a key partner in the French nuclear revival By participating in major programmes such as EPR2, Aval du Futur, Sustainability-Resilience, and the SNLE 3G or S3G, Ametra is actively contributing to the rebuilding of the French nuclear sector. This contribution is built on clear fundamentals: rigour, expertise, proximity, and continuity. True to its industrial culture, Ametra stands out as a reliable, stable partner capable of going the distance—essential qualities for the sector’s major prime contractors. Would you like to learn more about Ametra Group’s expertise and references? Visit our official website. You can also find us on LinkedIn to stay up to date with our news.