Completion of the ‘Seaside Corrosion’ project at the Gravelines nuclear power plant in France
September 10th 2025
Launched four years ago at the Gravelines Nuclear Power Plant, the ‘Seaside Corrosion’ project was recently completed.
Since 2021, John Cockerill Nuclear Services teams have been involved in various operations on the six units (power generation units) at the Côte d’Opale nuclear site.
Stéphane Kopec, Project Manager, explains: “EDF entrusted us with replacing all the pipe supports for the diesel engines in the emergency network for the six units, a total of 384 components. To replace them, we decided to propose a different type of support with a new coating that could be easily removed. The operation proved to be tricky because we had to remove these corroded supports without damaging the emergency piping. We encountered a few difficulties during the initial changes, but we quickly recovered thanks to feedback from John Cockerill and EDF, with whom we worked in perfect collaboration to adapt to the situation. Today, we are proud of the result, as this new mechanically removable, corrosion-resistant system will enable faster, easier replacement and can be done independently. I would like to highlight the commitment and expertise of the supervisors and teams, as it required great technical skill to carefully cut the supports around the pipes without damaging them, which was no easy task. Well done, everyone!“
The EDF teams (ECG: Gravelines Joint Team) and the DIPDE (Nuclear Power Plant and Environment Engineering Division) expressed their complete satisfaction. This project, initially scheduled to take 11 calendar days, was completed in just five and a half days! This record time can also be explained by the excellent preparation of those involved and the consideration of feedback from previous shutdowns.
Philippe Dubuisson, Managing Director of John Cockerill Nuclear Services, concludes: “Despite complex planning requiring meticulous coordination and considerable flexibility, the results achieved today confirm the relevance of our strategic choices and our organisation. I would like to thank my teams for their commitment, which has made this success possible and demonstrates John Cockerill Nuclear Services’ capabilities in carrying out large-scale projects.”
