EDF chooses Veolia's pioneering technological solution to reinforce its emergency water treatment systems

EDF has chosen Veolia's technological solution, in partnership with REEL, for the design, manufacture and installation of mobile units to treat contaminated water in case of a nuclear accident. This additional solution would drastically reduce environmental impact by treating on-site the primary circuit water stored in the reactor building tanks in the event of a pipe rupture.

This new device is part of the safety modifications implemented by EDF to raise the safety level of its 900 MWe reactors up to EPR’s levels.

This patented technology has been adapted to the French reactor context, and its implementation largely optimized thanks to the combination of Veolia's industrial know-how and REEL, a company specialized in the design and manufacture of special equipment for the nuclear industry.

World leader in water technologies, Veolia has developed an innovative, adaptable and mobile solution. This pioneering water decontamination device, consisting of a system of interchangeable cartridges (filtration and adsorption) operating in closed-loop recirculation with the reactor building, is arranged in a set of mobile units.

Jean-François Nogrette, Senior Executive Vice President, France & Special Waste Europe, comments: "With its worldwide expertise in cutting-edge water treatment technologies, Veolia is proud to support EDF in developing and securing the nuclear power generation sector, which contributes to strengthening France's energy sovereignty. We are delighted with this new milestone in our fruitful collaboration with EDF, which follows the creation of Graphitech in 2019 and Waste2Glass in 2021."

Cédric Lewandowski, EDF's executive director in charge of nuclear and thermal assets, says: "EDF's nuclear assets have chosen Veolia, the world expert in water and hazardous waste treatment, to benefit from proven technology that meets the exacting requirements of the nuclear industry. This new alliance between two French groups, leaders in their fields, illustrates the performance of French industry in cutting-edge sectors."

About Veolia     
Le groupe Veolia a pour ambition de devenir l’entreprise de référence de la transformation écologique. Présent sur les cinq continents avec près de 213 000 salariés, le Groupe conçoit et déploie des solutions utiles et concrètes pour la gestion de l’eau, des déchets et de l'énergie qui participent à changer radicalement la donne. Au travers de ses trois activités complémentaires, Veolia contribue à développer l’accès aux ressources, à préserver les ressources disponibles et à les renouveler. En 2022, le groupe Veolia a servi 111 millions d’habitants en eau potable et 97 millions en assainissement, produit 44 térawattheures d’énergie et valorisé 61 millions de tonnes de déchets. Veolia Environnement (Paris Euronext : VIE) a réalisé en 2022 un chiffre d’affaires consolidé de 42,9 milliards d’euros. www.veolia.com   

About EDF     
A major player in the energy transition, the EDF Group is an integrated energy company, present in all business lines: generation, transmission, distribution, trading, energy sales and energy services. The world leader in low-carbon energies, the Group has developed a diversified production mix based mainly on nuclear and renewable energy (including hydropower), and is investing in new technologies to support the energy transition. EDF's raison d'être is to build a CO2-neutral energy future that reconciles preservation of the planet, well-being and development, thanks to electricity and innovative solutions and services. The Group is involved in supplying energy and services to around 40.3 million customers (1), including 30.3 million in France (2). By 2022, it had consolidated sales of 143.5 billion euros.

⁽¹⁾_{Since 2018, customers have been counted by delivery site; a customer may have two delivery points: one for electricity and one for gas.}   
⁽²⁾ _{Including ÉS (Électricité de Strasbourg) and SEI.}