Nicolas Bachelet will take over as head of the Cattenom nuclear power plant on 1 April. After more than five years in charge, outgoing director Jérôme Le Saint believes the 40-year-old facility “may only be halfway through its lifespan”. He is set to join the management of French state-owned electric utility company EDF’s nuclear fleet.
Despite strong criticism from neighbouring Luxembourg regarding nuclear energy, the Cattenom nuclear power plant remains a key part of France’s energy landscape due to its capacity of 5,200 megawatts. It is the second most powerful plant in France and the second most powerful in Western Europe, Le Saint pointed out.
Le Saint is known for making well-timed remarks. In January 2025, during a New Year ceremony at the site, he raised for the first time the possibility of building an Evolutionary Power Reactor (EPR) at Cattenom, while also mentioning the prospect of operating the plant for up to 60 years, and possibly beyond.
In July 2025, he told RTL that the site had many advantages for hosting new reactors, maintaining that there is no fixed operational lifespan for nulear plants in France.
As he prepares to leave for a senior role overseeing EDF’s nuclear fleet, which comprises 57 reactors, he described Cattenom as being in its prime.
“It is 40 years old and may only be halfway through its lifespan”, he said, adding that extending operations is not about age but usefulness, and that the plant is ready to meet future industrial challenges.
Le Saint said he would always keep a special eye on the Cattenom plant and on those who operate it every day.
Nicolas Bachelet, 51, a father of three and previously deputy director in charge of maintenance at Cattenom, will now lead the plant and its 2,300 EDF employees and partners. Over the past six years, he has served as deputy director, overseeing operations of the four reactors and later the maintenance programme.
He emphasised that the plant supplies 75% of the electricity consumption needs of the Grand Est region and that its “safe, low-carbon”, production is an asset in addressing climate challenges.
His priority will be to maintain this momentum and implement “an ambitious industrial programme” to allow the plant to operate beyond 60 years, while ensuring the highest safety standards, he said.
A graduate of the Belfort National Engineering School in 1998, Bachelet has built his career within EDF’s nuclear fleet. He began as a safety engineer before becoming operations manager at the Saint-Alban nuclear power plant, where he led reactor control teams.
He later joined the Fessenheim nuclear power plant, France’s first pressurised water reactor plant, where he held several positions over a decade, including head of safety and maintenance, director of industrial policy, and head of production. He notably oversaw operations during the plant’s final shutdown on 30 June 2020 and contributed to launching its pre-decommissioning project.
