Company says contract is enormous step for energy security in Europe
Multinational enrichment company Urenco signed an agreement with French state-backed power company EDF to supply uranium enrichment services for nuclear power stations across France and the UK.
The chief executives of both companies, Boris Schucht and Bernard Fontana, put pen to paper on 6 November – the final day of the World Nuclear Exhibition (WNE) 2025 in Paris.
The multi-billion-euro contract will enable Urenco to support EDF’s nuclear fleet into the 2040s, contributing to the reliable and sustainable generation of electricity.
Urenco chief executive officer Boris Schucht said: “This deal represents an enormous step forward for energy security in Europe at a time when it has never been so important in the geopolitical landscape.”
Italian Companies Sign SMR Agreement With France’s Nuward
Italian companies Ansaldo Energia and Ansaldo Nucleare have signed a joint declaration of intent with EDF subsidiary Nuward, marking a further step in Nuward’s programme to develop and deploy a small modular reactor (SMR). A statement said the declaration – signed at the World Nuclear Exhibition (WNE) 2025 in Paris together with Arabelle Solutions, Framatome and Tractebel – reinforces a coordinated path to accelerate Nuward’s SMR programme. The declaration follows the first collaboration agreement between Ansaldo Energia, Ansaldo Nucleare, EDF and Nuward signed in July 2023. Nuward is developing a new generation of water-cooled SMRs that will provide both electricity and heat for multiple applications such as industrial applications and district heating.
France’s Naarea Signs Fluid Wire Robotics Partnership
Naarea, a French startup developing a Generation IV molten salt fast neutron nuclear microreactor, signed a partnership agreement with Fluid Wire Robotics (FWR), an Italian startup specialising in the design of electric robotic systems for remote and unmanned inspection, maintenance, repair and assembly in extreme environments such as radiation, heat, underwater and vacuum. Naarea said the aim of the partnership is to provide it with safe and reliable robotic handling capabilities for its fuel production facility, and for its XAMR microreactors, in particularly during maintenance operations or dismantling.
Orano Group Signs Key Partnerships
France’s Orano group signed engineering partnerships with Ametra, Assystem and Vulcain as part of its effort to renew its nuclear fuel processing and recycling plants. The work is part of a programme known as Aval du future, which includes a fuel unloading facility and a new mixed-oxide fuel fabrication plant at the La Hague site in northern France, with commissioning scheduled for the early 2040s, and a new used fuel processing plant planned for the mid-century, as well as keeping existing facilities in operational condition. Orano director of engineering Guillaume Dureau said the company is undergoing a complete transformation to be ready to handle a project workload estimated to rise to over 10 million hours by 2030. “To rise to this challenge, we are leveraging all the resources at our disposal: recruitment, regional and local development, and, above all, stronger partnerships with recognised industry players,” Dureau said.
Nuclear And Maritime Companies Formally Sign Declaration
More than 30 European companies from the international nuclear and maritime sectors have formally signed the ‘Declaration of Cooperation for Accelerating Nuclear for Maritime Applications to meet Climate Ambitions’. One of the signatories, the testing, inspection and certification body Bureau Veritas, said the signing represents a landmark initiative uniting international stakeholders across the nuclear, maritime, research, financial and regulatory communities in a shared commitment to promote a European initiative to advance the safe and sustainable use of nuclear technologies for maritime decarbonisation. The declaration recognises the critical role of the maritime sector in achieving global climate goals and the need to transition to low-carbon energy systems. It highlights the potential of small modular reactors (SMRs) to become a safe, reliable and sustainable solution for maritime and port energy systems. Together, the signatories reaffirmed their commitment to advancing innovation in line with the France 2030 Investment Plan, which allocates €1bn ($1.15bn) to the development of innovative nuclear technologies, including SMRs.
Italy’s Maire And Nextchem To Explore Nuward SMR Opportunities
Italy-based engineering group Maire and subsidiary Nextchem signed a memorandum of understanding with EDF and subsidiary Nuward to jointly explore opportunities for cooperation in the development and deployment of the Nuward small modular reactor (SMR) programme. Maire said the initiative aligns with its objective to collaborate with nuclear technology providers developing small and advanced modular nuclear technologies and supports Nextchem’s vision for creating low-carbon chemical production and data centre “e-factories” by integrating them with a clean, reliable energy source. Nextchem recently launched Next-N, a joint venture dedicated to developing new intellectual property for the conventional island of next-generation nuclear power plants.
