Technology and engineering company Technip Energies has signed a strategic framework agreement with EDF to accelerate the execution, construction management, and delivery of EDF’s EPR2 nuclear new-build programme. Under this non-exclusive agreement, Technip Energies will embed experienced project management and construction specialists directly into integrated teams alongside EDF personnel.
EDF will draw on the proven expertise of Technip Energies in the delivery of major complex industrial and energy projects to help strengthen execution discipline and improve schedule predictability across all EDF’s nuclear new-build activities.
The EPR2 programme, announced in February 2022, envisages the construction of six upgraded EPR reactors with an option for eight more. The first three pairs of EPR2 reactors are planned for the Penly, Gravelines and Bugey NPP sites. Construction of the first EPR2 reactor at Penly was then expected to start in 2027 with an estimated programme cost of €51.7bn ($59.5bn), which was revised to €67.4bn in 2023 and to €72.8bn in January. The target for commissioning the first reactor has since been revised to 2038 with the others to follow at intervals of 12-18 months.
The programme, which will be the subject of state support measures, was submitted for approval to the European Commission (EC) in November 2025 with a view to taking a final investment decision at the end of 2026. Regulators are concerned that subsidising the fleet will entrench EDF’s dominant 75%+ market share of French electricity production, preventing new commercial players from entering the market. The EC is specifically auditing three pillars of the €72.8bn programme – a subsidised state loan that covers 60% of construction costs; a 40-year contract for difference (CfD) price guarantee; and a formal risk-sharing mechanism that shields EDF from delays.
The EPR2 initiative was designed directly to address and fix the systemic project failures of the first EPR construction projects at Flamanville 3 in France and Olkiluoto 3 in Finland – both of which were delayed by around a decade and massively over budget. There were multiple causes for this. Construction of Flamanville 3 started in 2007 before completing technical engineering blueprints. Years were lost repairing heavy-section penetration and safety welds. France had not built a domestic commercial nuclear reactor since 1996 and EDF passed excessive risk to external suppliers, causing severe execution blockages.
The partnership between EDF and Technip Energies is a direct response to the project failures seen at Flamanville 3 and Olkiluoto 3. Bringing in Technip Energies injects proven, large-scale industrial project discipline to stabilise the EPR2 timeline and prevent a repetition of those delays. Technip’s primary mandate is to establish strict project execution discipline to guarantee schedule certainty. Technip brings decades of experience managing ultra-complex international energy infrastructure.
With the targeted commissioning date for the first EPR2 pair at Penly already pushed out from 2035 to 2038, the need for rigorous external project oversight is critical. Instead of acting as a hands-off external consultant, Technip is embedding its managers directly inside EDF teams to oversee construction sites and the supply chain.
“This agreement marks a new chapter between EDF and Technip Energies,” said Loïc Chapuis, President Project Delivery and Services at Technip Energies. “By combining EDF’s long-standing nuclear expertise with Technip Energies’ experience in delivering highly complex industrial and energy infrastructure, our integrated teams will support execution and schedule certainty across major nuclear projects. Beyond the operational benefits, this partnership reflects the kind of long-term industrial cooperation needed to deliver France’s nuclear ambitions and support the future of the EPR2 programme.”
Thierry Le Mouroux, Group Senior Executive Vice President with responsibility for the Nuclear Projects and Industrial Partnership Division at EDF, noted: “This strategic partnership combines the complementary expertise of both companies. The EDF Group brings its mastery of reactor engineering and an efficient supply chain dedicated to building EPR2s, while Technip Energies contributes its world-renowned complex project management skills. Together, we strengthen the French nuclear team to ensure the EPR2 program is delivered successfully—on time, within budget, and to the expected levels of safety.”
