As such it provides the interface with suppliers

When it landed on 4 February 2008 at Montrouge, at the national Centre of nuclear equipment to EDF, Rossella Rotella knew exactly what to expect. On paper, things were clear: she was going to participate in the construction of the Flamanville. But for an engineer to Enel, working in the French electrician represented a leap into the unknown. A year later, his enthusiasm is total. "I learned lot of things, from all points of view, she says.". There is a true transfer of skills.

Rossella Rotella is part of the 65 employees that the Italian group has the ability to detach teams in charge of the project and operation of Flamanville. His goal: learn nuclear then build power plants in his own country. So far, 53 employees, most aged 27 to 33 years, crossed the Alps into the offices of studies or the site of the EPR. This cooperation is scrutinized closely by the actors as GDF Suez, who wants to collaborate with EDF for the second EPR, expected at Penly.

One year after its launch, the satisfaction of stakeholders beyond the personal experience of Rossella Rotella. "I am really very happy with our relations with Enel", said Jacques Alary, responsible for studies of the EDF of Montrouge centre construction. Paolo Luconi, Director of Enel project, makes the same observation. "The results of this cooperation is really extraordinary," says this engineer who had participated in the construction of Superphénix, Creys-Malville, late 1970s.

The original of this success, a common will of the two groups to work together, but also mutual interest. Enel, which has an option to invest and participate in the construction of six plants in France, then hopes to rebuild his country or elsewhere in Europe, the Italy decided 20 years out of the nuclear. For its part, EDF may participate in the rebirth of the Atom with Enel in Italy, as formalized it the two countries end of February.

True responsibility

"All of these provisions shows a lot of confidence, a spirit of cooperation and a willingness to lead," says Paolo Luconi. But he also cited the purely practical aspects that have contributed to the success of cooperation. First, the Italian engineers have all been a 4-8 weeks language course. Second, they have integrated into French teams without distinction, with concrete tasks, under the authority of a Chief of service. "It was thought that it was the right solution to train engineers and remove something", explains Jacques Alary.

"If I wasn't there, EDF would have hired another agent", confirms Rossella Rotella, who is responsible for fittings in the hardware team. As such, it provides the interface with suppliers. In other words, it has a real responsibility in the EPR project. His next step A priori, it will remain three years in total, even if his French chef would gladly see stay longer. But the two partners signed a kind of non-aggression pact, which prohibits to demobilise the neighbour engineers...

Enel, the adventure continues. The Italian electrician wants to invest in Penly 12.5, as at Flamanville. However, it is not certain it will detach again teams. It might choose to send in Slovakia, or even in Italy, where power plants projects should go forward. But the electrician is careful. If it totally controls the construction of coal-fired plants, he intends to entrust the control of work of the first Italian nuclear reactor to EDF, even provide this function for the following.