Twenty-eight apprentices specializing in mechanics and electrical engineering, along with students enrolled in the campus's specialized master's program in nuclear safety, were invited to participate in three immersive days at the EDF and Orano sites in Tricastin and at CSTI Groupe.
For apprentices, as part of the third-year Energy Flow Engineering option, and for master's students, these visits provide an opportunity to meet many industrialists who are major players in the French energy sector.
The mornings were devoted to meetings with site operators, who presented their jobs and specialties and emphasized the importance of technical and interpersonal skills. Then, in the afternoons, it was time to visit the sites.
" The visit to the Tricastin power plant allowed us to appreciate the importance of our French nuclear infrastructure, as well as all the technology used to ensure its proper functioning.explains Baptiste Beulque, apprentice. It was also an opportunity to discover many professions related to this activity. The most impressive thing during this visit was seeing the size of the equipment installed in the engine room, given that the building is several meters high and extends over a hundred meters in length.
At the site of the CSTI group, a specialist in mechanical engineering, welding, and industrial piping, renowned for its expertise in nuclear projects, the apprentices were able to observe the mechanical engineering, welding, machining, non-destructive testing, and metrology workstations, as well as the projects underway in the workshops.
More recently, it was the turn of the students on the specialized master's program in Nuclear Safety to visit the Orano Tricastin uranium enrichment site, located near Bollène.
" After being welcomed by the site teams and given a general tour of the center, we had the opportunity to visit the former Eurodif enrichment plant, built in 1973," says Clémence Gervais. We were able to enter one of the 20 rooms in one of the four buildings of the original plant. For many of us, the visit was particularly impressive, especially because of the monumental size of the machines and facilities still in place.
This extraordinary facility also required a considerable amount of electricity: the Tricastin nuclear power plant was built to supply the Eurodif plant directly. Since then, the group has successfully upgraded its facilities with the construction of the Georges Besse II plant, which has reduced electricity consumption by a factor of three while responding to new strategic challenges in a rapidly expanding nuclear sector.
These visits offer a concrete and comprehensive overview of careers in the nuclear industry and the French energy sector. It is a unique experience that prepares these future engineers to meet the energy challenges that await them.
Contact: Magali Fournié, Corporate Relations Manager on campus
