SPIE is supporting EDF in maintaining a high level of IT security at the ICEDA in Le Bugey

Cergy, 14 April 2026 – SPIE France, a subsidiary of SPIE, the independent European leader in multi-technical services in the areas of energy and communications, has entered into an IT system maintenance contract with EDF for the ICEDA (Installation de Conditionnement et d'Entreposage de Déchets Activés [activated waste conditioning and storage facility]) located on the nuclear power station site in Le Bugey, Ain. This project led by SPIE Nucléaire, acting as lead company, involves two additional SPIE France subsidiaries, SPIE ICS and SPIE Industrie, and showcases the company's ability to mobilise cutting-edge expertise to address the cybersecurity challenges that nuclear facilities are facing.

The ICEDA is essential to managing the radioactive waste generated by France's nuclear fleet

The ICEDA (INB 173), which EDF commissioned in September 2020, conditions and stores long-lived, intermediate level waste, which originates from the operation of France's nuclear fleet and the decommissioning of shut-down reactors, before it is transferred to Cigeo, a deep geological disposal facility (project in progress and led by Andra). The facility's waste conditioning work is carried out remotely so as to minimise staff exposure to radiation. Thanks to systems that collect and process data throughout the conditioning process, it is possible to trace each waste package produced at the facility.

A long-standing collaboration now extended to cybersecurity

SPIE Nucléaire, which has been working on the Le Bugey site since 2011 as part of a national maintenance contract, has been commissioned by EDF to maintain the highest level of security for the IT systems used to monitor and manage nuclear waste processing, with a view to strengthening nuclear cybersecurity.

As the lead company for this contract, SPIE Nucléaire is overseeing the entire operation and coordinating the various parties involved. Its teams will ensure that any changes made do not affect the operation of existing systems and will carry out maintenance on the equipment installed. 

SPIE Nucléaire is drawing on the expertise of two other subsidiaries of SPIE France, a global force in the energy, digital and industrial transitions:

• SPIE ICS, a French digital services company, which provides specialist expertise in industrial cybersecurity;
• SPIE Industrie, which provides energy transition and digital transformation support to industrial players in France.

A controlled roll-out from diagnostics to implementation

Drawing on its in-depth knowledge of the site and its operational constraints and by applying SPIE ICS expertise, SPIE Nucléaire has worked to address the potential vulnerabilities previously identified. SPIE Industrie is also involved in the implementation work that began in January 2026 and is looking at how events involving industrial equipment are logged (programmable logic controllers, industrial switches, SCADA PC/servers etc.) in order to ensure that the data processing chain can be traced and optimised. The roll-out was completed in early March 2026. SPIE Nucléaire will ensure the maintenance of all the equipment and systems installed.

The complexity of this project lies in carrying out work on an active facility while ensuring the continuity of operations and preserving existing systems.

"As a nuclear operator, it is our responsibility to protect our IT data. Our facility monitoring system must be available at all times and it is essential that we are able to track and trace the waste packages that we condition in order to maintain an accurate record of the work carried out. It is crucial that we maintain the highest level of security for our IT system," explains Florian Charnaux, ICEDA Director at EDF.

"Cybersecurity has become a major issue for the nuclear sector. This contract demonstrates recognition of our expertise in this strategic area. By combining our in-depth knowledge of the site with the specialist skills of SPIE ICS and SPIE Industrie, we are able to offer EDF an effective, bespoke solution,"explains Eric Lucciardi, Head of Department at SPIE Nucléaire.