Assystem - 2018 Register document

NON-FINANCIAL INFORMATION STATEMENT

VISION AND BUSINESS MODEL

3.1 VISION AND BUSINESS MODEL

3.1.1 VISION Urban migration, social mobility in emerging economies, automated manufacturing, the digital revolution and the expanding use of connected equipment and electric vehicles are driving rapid growth in electricity use throughout the world. Today more than ever before, electricity is an essential driver of global economic and social development. In an environment shaped by energy transition and the urgent problem of global warming, the relentless increase in electricity production and use is a challenge for the planet. It’s time to look at energy differently. Today, two-thirds of electricity is produced by burning fossil fuels (coal, oil, gas). And, according to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), electricity is already responsible for over 40% of global carbon emissions. To reconcile the conflicting demands of economic growth and ecology, we need to produce cleaner energy in greater quantities and in a more cost-effective manner. Producing electricity from carbon-free energy sources – mainly hydro, nuclear, solar and wind power – using low carbon processes is the only way of deploying a more sustainable energy mix. At the same time, there is also a compelling need to build efficient new public transport infrastructure or modernise existing infrastructure to meet the needs of urban populations. Nuclear power, a necessity to address the climate crisis Nuclear power has a key role to play alongside renewables in the fight against global warming. In the central scenarios presented in its latest report, published in 2018, the IPCC recommends a significant increase in global nuclear power production to help meet the objective of limiting the long-term rise in the average temperature of the Earth’s climate system.

Civil nuclear power has a long industrial history and the technology can be deployed on a large scale. With 455 reactors currently in service in 48 different countries, nuclear power plants currently account for around 10% of global electricity production. Since 1970, the choice of nuclear energy has avoided over 60 Gt of CO 2 emissions worldwide, representing the equivalent of five years’ worth of greenhouse gas emissions. It is the second largest contributor to low carbon electricity production, beaten only by hydro power (1) . For over 50 years, Assystem has used its skill and expertise to help drive the development of the civil nuclear industry throughout the world. We are convinced that nuclear power is an essential component of a competitively priced energy mix capable of meeting growing demand while also delivering the necessary reduction in carbon emissions. Our 2,800 specialised engineers support nuclear projects in France and also work with the world’s major players – currently primarily French, South Korean and Russian groups – on international projects in countries with a long history of nuclear power production and in others that are choosing this energy source for the first time. Our teams perform siting surveys for planned new nuclear plants, act as consulting engineers during the design, construction and commissioning phases, and provide a wide range of life-cycle maintenance services and maintenance services to extend the plants’ operating lives. They also take part in research and development activities, including for the Iter international project and for the French Atomic Energy Commission (CEA), as well as in decommissioning studies. A nuclear engineering company experienced in working on complex infrastructure

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(1) Source: SFEN October 2018 – Urgence climatique: peut-on se passer de l’énergie nucléaire ?

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ASSYSTEM

REGISTRATION DOCUMENT 2018

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