Atos, a pioneer of AI-powered digital transformation, announced this week a strategic partnership with EDF aimed at advancing nuclear operations for export projects and developing an industrialised approach to managing data, business processes and activities during the exploitation of nuclear facilities. This partnership, that can last up to 15 years, will lead to the development of an Operations Information Management System (OIMS), the digital backbone of a nuclear power plant, designed to support operations and maintenance activities of nuclear infrastructure.
The collaboration combines EDF's operational excellence as a nuclear operator with Atos' advanced capabilities in critical systems, complex platform integration, industrial data management, cybersecurity, and IT/OT convergence. Atos will develop a scalable, standardized and replicable OIMS model that can address the growing number of new nuclear programs outside of France and help establish a new benchmark for nuclear operations management on a global scale. EDF’s clients will also be able to benefit from Atos’ global footprint and network of partners, supporting local activity and economic development.
Supporting local activity
As global energy demand continues to grow, electrification accelerates and nations seek greater energy sovereignty while pursuing decarbonisation goals, nuclear power is increasingly recognized as a cornerstone of the energy transition. Governments and industry leaders worldwide are investing in new nuclear capacity to address both security of supply and carbon reduction objectives.
The Atos OIMS platform helps operators run their nuclear plants more efficiently. It streamlines operations and maintenance while enhancing safety.
Pursuing decarbonisation goals
Expected benefits of the OIMS platform include:
- Improved cost control, planning accuracy, and risk management in the exploitation phase.
- Enhanced Operations & Maintenance efficiency, resulting in reduced downtime and more optimized maintenance cycles.
- Increased equipment reliability and safety thanks to better data consistency, traceability, and anticipation of potential failures.
- Facilitation of data-driven decision-making across the lifecycle, improving responsiveness, operational performance, and long-term asset value.
- Support to change management and user adoption, ensuring effective transformation, smoother implementation of new processes, and faster realisation of business benefits.
- Avoid obsolescence by guaranteeing interoperability.
Ensuring business continuity
In the nuclear industry, operational safety, data integrity, and system availability are fundamental requirements. Nuclear infrastructures must rely on resilient technology environments capable of withstanding increasingly sophisticated cyber threats while ensuring business continuity.
The alliance between EDF and Atos places cybersecurity, operational resilience and control at the core of the OIMS design. The platform is intended to meet the highest standards for data protection, traceability, regulatory compliance, and risk management.
Most strategic programs
As a long-standing partner to major energy and utilities organizations, Atos has been supporting operators of some of the world's most critical infrastructures for several decades. It brings expertise in cybersecurity, cloud, artificial intelligence, data management and mission-critical operations as well as carbon emissions reduction to help customers deliver their most strategic programs.
This alliance further strengthens Atos' position as a trusted partner for the development of critical infrastructure and reinforces its role in delivering solutions that improve industrial performance, strengthen security and resilience, and support the successful execution of complex, strategic programs.
Combining industrial excellence
"This partnership will enable international clients of EDF’s EPR export projects to benefit from a comprehensive, turnkey solution, providing them with the tools they need to operate their nuclear power plant from the moment it is handed over. This integrated approach ensures seamless digital continuity of data throughout the entire lifecycle of the plant, from design and construction through to operation,” said Xavier Ursat, group senior executive vice president in charge of strategy, technologies, innovation and development, EDF.
"The global revival of nuclear energy calls for new approaches capable of combining industrial excellence, risk management, security and program acceleration. They will also depend on our ability to further integrate data, processes, and technologies in support of industrial performance. By bringing together EDF's unique operational expertise and Atos' capabilities in critical systems, industrial data, cybersecurity, we are laying the foundations for a next-generation platform designed to support the nuclear programs of the future," said Franck Chartier, executive vice president and head of Atos France.
