TN Eagle Factory, 1ère pierre sur le Port de Cherbourg EN
Orano NPS launches the construction of the TN Eagle Factory, a highly innovative factory in the port of Cherbourg
Orano NPS, a subsidiary of the Orano group specializing in the design of packaging and nuclear transport, is launching the construction of a new 4.0 manufacturing plant, the TN Eagle Factory for the assembly of its next-generation packaging, the TN Eagle, on the port of Cherbourg. On this occasion, Frédéric de Agostini, Director of the Nuclear Packaging and Services Business Unit and Hervé Morin, President of the Normandy Region and President of Ports of Normandy, celebrated the beginning of the construction of the TN plant. Eagle Factory, in the presence of Elisabeth Castellotti, Deputy Prefect of Cherbourg, Jean Morin, President of the Manche Department, David Margueritte, President of the Cotentin Agglomeration Community and Benoît Arrivé, Mayor of Cherbourg-en- Cotentin.
Thanks to technologically disruptive manufacturing processes compared to existing factories and fully automated equipment, the TN Eagle Factory will be able to assemble packaging without welding in just 12 months, compared to 36 months on average for packaging from the previous generation. The implementation of these new processes is made possible thanks to an innovative design of the packaging itself, with in particular 10 times fewer parts. A first series model was manufactured in July 2022 in the current building in fully automatic mode, thus demonstrating the technical feasibility of the processes
Orano NPS entrusted the construction of the building to the Norman developer, SHEMA acting for Ports of Normandy. The assembly line is carried out by the companies Latesys and Metrasur. Covering an area of 6,000 m², the TN Eagle Factory plans to produce up to 30 packages per year. Commissioning of the plant is scheduled for 2024.
The TN Eagle cask is intended for the transport and dry storage of spent fuel from nuclear power plants throughout the world (Europe, United States, Asia). It can measure up to 5 m long and 3 m in diameter and weigh up to 150 T. With a modular structure, it is built from standard technological bricks to meet the different needs of electrician customers by combining safety, productivity and increased competitiveness. The packaging has obtained transport approval from the French Nuclear Safety Authority, which includes a very severe test phase to demonstrate the robustness of the packaging and its resistance to extreme accident conditions.
With this plant, Orano NPS is relocating to France a manufacturing activity that is currently outsourced to its foreign partners. The project is part of the government's recovery plan for the industry and is the winner of the support fund for investments in the nuclear sector.
