Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Delivers Three Replacement Steam Generators to EDF to Support Nuclear Power Plant Life Extension

Recently, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd. (MHI) of Japan officially delivered three replacement steam generators (SGs) to Électricité de France (EDF).

It is understood that these heavy components are planned for installation at Unit 2 of the Cruas Nuclear Power Plant in southeastern France. As a key core component of pressurized water reactor (PWR) nuclear power plants, the steam generator plays a critical role in transferring heat from the primary coolant system to the secondary cooling system, thereby generating steam to drive the turbine for power generation. Each unit of the delivered equipment is approximately 21 meters tall and weighs about 330 tonnes, is manufactured from high-strength low-alloy steel, and internally integrates more than 4,500 specially heat-treated, highly corrosion-resistant TT690 nickel-chromium-iron alloy heat transfer tubes. The project originated from EDF's 2019 international open tender and was jointly undertaken by MHI in partnership with Onet Technologies of France. The equipment was completed at the Kobe Shipyard & Machinery Works in January 2024 and successfully shipped to France after obtaining certification from the French nuclear safety regulatory authority.

This supply chain collaboration is closely linked to the French government's current nuclear energy policy. In response to the national strategy of extending the operational life of existing nuclear power plants to more than 40 years, EDF is systematically advancing the equipment renewal of PWR units that entered service in the 1980s. In addition to the three units delivered this time, the remaining six steam generators under the contract between the two parties are currently being fully manufactured at the Kobe Shipyard & Machinery Works and are expected to be delivered sequentially starting from 2028.

Statistics show that since 2005, MHI has cumulatively delivered 15 replacement steam generators to EDF and has successfully supplied more than 30 similar units to markets including France, Belgium, and the United States. Industry analysis points out that as global demand for nuclear power plant life extension and modernization continues to grow, MHI's market share and competitive advantage in the field of large international nuclear power key heavy equipment will be further consolidated.