Nuclear revival underway in multiple countries

France, the United Kingdom, and the United States are all pursuing ambitious nuclear energy projects, aiming to build new power plants quickly. These efforts are part of a broader strategy to increase nuclear energy's role in their energy mix, driven by climate goals and energy security concerns.

Leaders pledge to expand nuclear capacity

Donald Trump declared in 2025 that "The time for nuclear energy has come," pledging to quadruple nuclear energy in the next 25 years in the United States. In France, President Emmanuel Macron has committed to constructing up to 14 new reactors, calling it "the project of the century," while the UK plans for eight reactors, with potential additions of small modular reactors.

Reforms aim to streamline nuclear operations

The push for more nuclear power has placed the industry under significant pressure, prompting reforms to simplify interactions between operators and regulators. In France, a law passed in June 2023 aims to speed up procedures and reorganize nuclear safety authorities. Similar reforms are taking place in the United States and the United Kingdom, though each country approaches the issue differently.

Nuclear energy carries unique risks

Sociologist John Downer has described nuclear energy as a "catastrophic technology" due to the potentially severe consequences of failures. Recent issues have been reported at various stages of nuclear facilities, including operations, construction, and dismantling, raising concerns about the industry’s ability to maintain safety while increasing production.

Safety and productivity face tension

The nuclear industry has traditionally relied on internal safety departments and independent regulatory bodies to ensure safety. However, recent criticisms suggest that complex regulations and control mechanisms may hinder production schedules and increase costs. This tension can paradoxically affect safety by creating operational bottlenecks.

Long-term research highlights work challenges

A research group called the Research in Safety, Organization, Humans (RESOH) chair has studied the daily work of nuclear professionals for ten years. Their focus has been on design, operation, maintenance, and dismantling, emphasizing the need for shared understanding between clients and subcontractors and the importance of revising technical choices based on dismantling experiences.

Failed project highlights organizational challenges

The ASTRID project, a fast neutron reactor demonstrator, was abandoned in 2019 due to a lack of consensus on its purpose and conflicting power dynamics among the organizations involved. The failure was attributed not only to reduced government support but also to differing views on the project's goals among key stakeholders.

Dismantling poses complex challenges

Operators working on dismantling nuclear facilities face significant difficulties due to uncertainties and unusual timeframes. The process involves investigation, hypothesis testing, and experimentation to build knowledge gradually. However, strict regulatory requirements often hinder these efforts, leading to delays and increased costs.

Safety and performance must be balanced

Decision-makers and safety authorities stress the compatibility of performance and safety goals. The president of the Safety Authority emphasized that "safety is one of its components," highlighting the need to demonstrate its value for production. However, defining nuclear safety as the absence of unacceptable events makes it difficult to communicate its importance effectively.

Disconnection between safety and production is a risk

When safety professionals become distant from production challenges, it can lead to bureaucratic attitudes and compliance behaviors that prioritize form over function. Maintaining open communication and shared career paths between production and safety is crucial to prevent "paper safety" from becoming an obstacle to safe and efficient operations.

Organizational structures complicate performance

Other barriers include an excessive number of hierarchical layers and a diffusion of responsibilities, leading to "decision-makers who no longer make any decisions." The distribution of roles and resources is under debate, with a focus on rebuilding a shared understanding of productive activity and its purpose.

Reconciling safety and performance through practice

At a time when the nuclear revival aims to increase both safety and performance, research suggests the challenge is not to choose between these goals but to understand the practices that allow them to coexist. A detailed understanding of work is essential to avoid issues like "paper safety" and to ensure that performance is not confused with quantitative metrics. Starting from concrete work, it is possible to identify both organizational fragilities and the often invisible practices through which professionals ensure their organizations are both safe and effective.