Arabelle: €350 million investment to boost turbine production in Belfort

EDF has announced a €350 million investment in the Arabelle Solutions plant in Belfort. The investment plan, which will be rolled out through 2029, aims to expand the site’s surface area in order to support France’s nuclear revival and the construction programme of EPR2 reactors.

Acquired by EDF from General Electric in 2024, Arabelle Solutions is now preparing to scale up its operations. According to information communicated by Bernard Fontana, CEO of EDF, to Christophe Grudler, Member of the European Parliament, the French utility has committed to a major investment plan to expand the Belfort site. With a budget of €350 million, the project includes the construction of 20,000 square metres of new facilities, including a 10,000 m² manufacturing plant. Through this expansion, EDF aims to double the activity of the turbine manufacturer, enabling it to supply at least two EPR2 reactors per year, or an equivalent production volume.

Modernising operations…

EDF intends to make the Belfort plant a central hub for global expertise in nuclear turbine technology. According to information reported by L’Usine Nouvelle, the investments will allow Arabelle Solutions to “increase production capacities for rotors and turbine casings, and internalise activities related to blade manufacturing and alternator rotor winding.” Some of the newly acquired space includes former Alstom facilities. Bernard Fontana also told L’Usine Nouvelle that the investment aims to “relocate to France certain production activities that had previously been moved abroad.”

…and organisational growth

In addition to industrial modernisation, the subsidiary will also act on the organisational front by launching a recruitment programme to support its expansion. This will be complemented by “a sustained long-term training effort for teams, in order to support the company’s growth over time and contribute to strengthening the French nuclear industry,” Arabelle Solutions said.

Deployment through 2029

As for the timeline, the first steps were reportedly initiated in September 2025, with the finalisation of investment projects in coordination with partners and subcontractors, giving priority wherever possible to the local economic ecosystem. The programme will then be progressively deployed until 2029. ■