TechnicAtome, which specializes in compact nuclear reactors, has reported a 10% increase in revenues for 2022, to €497.5 million, driven in particular by the renewal of the French submarine fleet. “The level of profitability is close to 11%,” the group said in a statement released Wednesday. Last year it was over 14%.
TechnicAtome – formerly Areva TA – is owned by the French State Participation Agency (50%), Naval Group (20%), the French Atomic Energy Commission (CEA, 20%) and EDF (slightly less than 10%). It designs, produces and operates the nuclear boilers that have powered French submarines since the 1970s, as well as the Charles-de-Gaulle aircraft carrier.
“In 2022, all of its projects were in active phases, culminating on September 30 with the start-up of the Duguay-Trouin boiler room in Cherbourg, the second nuclear attack submarine in the Barracuda program,” notes the group, which thus started up its third reactor in four years.
After the Suffren, the Duguay-Trouin took to the sea for the first time on Monday for trials.
Four other nuclear attack submarines (SNA), as well as their nuclear boiler room, are in various stages of construction and are scheduled to enter service by 2030. “In design activities, the development of the next-generation aircraft carrier reactors is ready to enter the preliminary design phase, as is the Nuward modular power reactor (SMR) program,” the 1,900-employee group added.
TechnicAtome is developing the two nuclear boilers for the future aircraft carrier, which is scheduled to enter service in 2038, and has begun manufacturing the first parts for the first of four third-generation ballistic missile submarines (SNLE3G), which will be delivered in 2035.
