Orano Projets, a subsidiary of Orano, has inaugurated its new building dedicated to its engineering teams in Pierrelatte (Drôme). The ceremony was attended by state and local officials, institutional and economic players in the region, industrial partners and employees.
This was part of a vast modernisation programme for the Pierrelatte site, which began in September 2024. The programme includes the construction of a new building, complete renovation a second building and, by 2027, renovation of a third building. This will ultimately provide a fully modernised engineering platform. With the new building, reception capacity has been doubled from 300 to 600 employees.
The Pierrelatte site is part of a broader programme of real estate investments carried out by Orano in order to support the growing demand for its engineering activities in connection with the revival of the nuclear sector. This supports the realisation of strategic projects such as the extension of the Georges Besse 2 enrichment plant, the extension of the factories downstream of the cycle and their renewal within the framework of the Downstream of the Future programme. The programme involves an unprecedented increase in skills: 500 recruitments engineers and technicians each year, making it possible to double the group’s engineering workforce by 2030.
The teams are spread across 21 sites in France as well as the group’s key industrial sites (Melox, Tricastin, La Hague, Malvési) and its customers such as the Framatome factory in Romans-sur-Isère. To support its development, Orano Projets is modernising its historic sites and opening new locations in Aix-en-Provence, Bordeaux and Dijon.
The group’s engineering facility, established in Pierrelatte since 1986, now benefits from a modernised site offering a functional working environment, organised into platforms promoting collaboration between teams and fully meeting accessibility requirements. The “Le Gardon” building, named after the place where it is located, was constructed between 2024 and early 2026. Work worth €7m was undertaken by local companies, contributing to the local economy.
Denis Lyonnet, director of Orano’s South-East engineering establishment noted: “Safety was a priority throughout the project, carried out without accidents. We have chosen a sustainable building, integrating concrete solutions to reduce our footprint: photovoltaic electricity production panels, eco-mobility devices, optimised management of energy consumption, parking draining, rainwater recovery system. It was designed by an architect from Pierrelatte and built by local companies.”
