News
Building to dismantle: Fessenheim nuclear plant’s pre-decommissioning
As part of France’s first major nuclear decommissioning project involving pressurised water reactors, Tractebel is playing a key role alongside EDF. Our engineering teams led the design and construction of the Decoupling and Transit Facility (IDT), a strategic infrastructure for managing radioactive waste from the decommissioning of the power plant.
Picture: ©EDF
Tractebel is supporting EDF in the gradual decommissioning of the Fessenheim nuclear power plant (Haut-Rhin), which was permanently shut down in 2020. This site, which was closed as part of the Multi-Year Energy Programme, is now in a crucial pre-decommissioning phase that is nearing completion.
A strategic mission for the future of nuclear power
In this context, our experts designed and dimensioned the modification work for the Machinery Room at levels 0 and +15 m. This new facility will enable the storage, management and transit of very low, low to medium and medium to long-lived radioactive waste packages from the dismantling of the two reactors, before their shipment to specialised treatment centres.
The project, launched in May 2024 based on TRACTEBEL’s EXEcution studies, was completed in May 2025 as scheduled, with the overall project currently in its final stages.
Pictures: (1) Machinery room, (2) Tractebel team, (3,4,5) work site
Multidisciplinary expertise mobilised
The IDT project has enabled Tractebel to mobilise a range of skills:
- Civil engineering and metal structures: fitting out the mechanical workshop, creating reinforced concrete slabs and walls, finishing work, and structural reinforcement.
- Ventilation, electricity, control systems, and handling: design and integration of technical equipment.
Tractebel is acting as the integrated project manager within the consortium led by Bouygues Construction Expertises Nucléaires (BCEN), with SIGEDI. Our tasks cover:
- System engineering: interface, performance (requirements), and configuration management
- Overall synthesis at the design stage of the detailed design studies
- Design (detailed preliminary design and project studies) and detailed design for civil engineering and metal structures
- Nuclear safety
- Safety risk analysis during the design phase
A benchmark for future decommissioning projects
We are proud to be involved in this project, which is a first in France. It gives us the opportunity to develop know-how and expertise that will be crucial for our clients and our company in future nuclear facility decommissioning projects. We are implementing civil engineering design and construction methods that will enable us to meet the challenges ahead.
Bastien Ipcar
Project Manager, Tractebel
A new stage in the reactor building
Building on this success and our added value in design variants that reduce the dismantling schedule, Tractebel is continuing its commitment to the Fessenheim site. EDF has renewed its confidence in Tractebel within the BCEN consortium for a new contract covering the two reactor buildings. This project involves supplying a service floor at +20 metres, a key stage in the removal of heavy equipment.