English Portal – Nuclear Propulsion: Signing of a Research and Development Agreement between CEA, Framatome and Naval Group
The three partners will bring their best knowledge and know-how to further master future drafts of large components and sustain knowledge of nuclear propulsion.
The framework agreement was signed on February 23 by François Jacques, Director General of CEA, Bernard Fontana, Chairman of the Framatome Board of Directors and Pierre-Eric Baumelier, Chairman and CEO of Naval Group.
CEA, Framatome and Naval Group have defined a study and development program to better control the cycle, from design to production, for steel blanks. The results will benefit the Navy’s nuclear propulsion programs, in particular: the Suffren-type nuclear attack (SNA) submarines of the Barracuda program, the third-generation ballistic missile nuclear submarines (SNLE 3G) and the next-generation aircraft carrier (PANG).
The material used for blanks during manufacture undergoes many transformations that lead to changes in physical and chemical properties. In order to better control this process, the cooperation agreement just signed, for a period of six years, is mainly aimed at developing the knowledge of the three players in the field of process simulations, chemical composition voids and heat treatments.
- In the field of nuclear propulsion, CEA’s Military Applications division is responsible for project management for the design and construction of nuclear boiler rooms as well as the logistics for their maintenance.
- The Naval Group, associated with TechnicAtome to design and build nuclear boiler rooms, is responsible for the production and qualification of the materials that make up the key capabilities.
- Framatome, with Framatome Defense involved in nuclear propulsion, carries out forging, fabrication and control on steel parts called blanks for tanks and steam generators in order to meet the needs expressed by Naval Group.
Signing of the Framework Agreement by Bernard Fontana (Framatum), François Jacques (CEA) and Pierre-Eric Pomlet (Naval Group) © CEA
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