DPMB Technological Project
In 2024, EDF DIPDE awarded GDES the contract for the design, manufacturing and operation of 2 Mobile Temporary Boron Injection Devices (DPMB). This project has an estimated duration of 7 years, including 5 years of operation and maintenance of the equipment, with 10 interventions at different nuclear power plants, both during outages and with the reactor in operation, at Nogent NPP, Paluel NPP and Saint Alban NPP.
In 2024, EDF DIPDE awarded GDES the contract for the design, manufacturing and operation of 2 Mobile Temporary Boron Injection Devices (DPMB). This project has an estimated duration of 7 years, including 5 years of operation and maintenance of the equipment, with 10 interventions at different nuclear power plants, both during outages and with the reactor in operation, at Nogent NPP, Paluel NPP and Saint Alban NPP.
For this project, GDES established a partnership with the French company CSTI, a benchmark in the manufacturing and installation of special-purpose machinery in the French nuclear sector, jointly participating as a consortium (GME).
In the context of the introduction of new fuels such as MOX (mixed uranium and plutonium oxide) and URE (reprocessed enriched uranium), the DPMB system enables the required boron concentration level to be achieved in the spent fuel pool and in the PTR system (Fuel Pool Purification, Treatment and Cooling System). For this reason, EDF will once again integrate our technological solutions into its facilities.
Following the success of the UMB project (Mobile Boron Units), which positioned GDES in France as a reference in high added-value technology, the DPMB project reinforces this positioning, consolidating our presence in the French nuclear market. On this occasion, GDES will also assume responsibility for operation, thereby expanding our service portfolio for EDF across its entire nuclear fleet.
At present, the study, procurement and manufacturing phases have already been completed, marking a significant milestone in the execution of the project. Factory acceptance testing is currently underway, a key stage that will allow validation of the correct operation of the device prior to its transfer and installation on site, as well as its first operational start-up, scheduled for February 2027.
Factory acceptance testing. DPMB-GDES.
These tests, carried out between April and June 2026, comprise several stages aimed at thoroughly verifying all DPMB functionalities. They are conducted at CSTI’s facilities, GDES’s partner in the project, which are equipped with the necessary means to perform testing under configurations similar to those encountered in plant operation. Notably, a pit is available that allows the recreation of representative conditions in terms of device elevation above the boron injection point in the pool. This is particularly useful to validate system behaviour under conditions close to those of actual plant operation.
In this context, the DPMB stands as a mobile, innovative and highly functional solution for boron addition operations, fully aligned with current needs for operational flexibility and safety in nuclear power plants.
A strategic project for the Group that consolidates our position in France as a technology supplier to EDF, not only in the field of decontamination and surface treatment services, but also in the development, manufacturing and operation of critical equipment for nuclear plant operation and nuclear safety.