Safran Engineering Services: an innovative offering in the energy industry

• Why did Safran Engineering Services choose to position itself in the energy sector?

F.B: Today, our expertise and reputation in aeronautics allow us to offer innovative services and new working methods to energy stakeholders. Our know-how in managing large programs and tested, standardized working processes is unquestionable and responds to strict certification requirements. Thanks to our experience with large aeronautics programs, we can develop our own management tools for configuration, systems engineering, and project management.

Furthermore, our technical expertise acquired over the past twenty years can be transferred to the energy sector and applied to many engineering professions. But we will not be satisfied with offering professional expertise in only one area: we know how to have a comprehensive and pluri-disciplinary approach to a project. This is essential to the success of big projects, both in aeronautics and energy. This is another approach we are offering to client/supplier relationships, based on partnership, with competitive plans that aim for operational excellence. We have the ability to outsource engineering at our sites, close to clients and in more competitive areas. We are proposing to share the risks. This is an entirely new approach to service in this industry, but we are ready to help our clients towards this transformation.

 

• What qualifications does Safran Engineering Services have to take on business in the energy industry?

F.B: First of all, in electrical engineering for which we are the world leader in the aeronautics industry. We are able to design and develop comprehensive electrical equipment and systems for electrical production centers. In addition, we are proficient in electronic control systems, which run the electrical network or even these same production centers automatically, safely and intelligently. Finally, we have expertise in machinery, particularly in running studies on mechanical systems and structures. Studies in acoustics, flight dynamics, smooth calculations, comprehensive systems integration, topology optimization, designs for additive manufacturing: we are conducting numerical simulations in order to obtain certifications for equipment and prevent risks. Our engineers can also assist our clients in manufacturing support professions, such as materials engineering, nondestructive testing, and special processes used to manufacture products. For every case, we offer our clients skills they won’t find anywhere else, because in each of these fields, we use a different, complementary approach, which is a source of innovation and increases productivity.

 

• What type of clients are you addressing?

F.B: We are speaking to all stakeholders in energy, whether in nuclear, hydraulic, solar, or wind energy, or in oil and gas. We are also working with nuclear reactors and the latest generation of French electricity meters. For example, we are optimizing electrical equipment maintenance and replacement for nuclear reactors. We are taking on managing suppliers of electronic parts for smart meters. We are also preparing software that gathers and processes data for specialized laboratories. Lastly, we are making a comprehensive offering to stakeholders in wind energy, taking on designing electrical and mechanical systems, but also control and maintenance systems for their equipment. Our areas of expertise in aeronautics can clearly be transferred to this sector. We are also aware that manufacturers in the energy industry must meet the fundamental challenge of staying competitive, and also the challenge of diversifying electrical production that greatly influences energy distribution in our area. We wish to assist these transfers, which are linked to the current and future environmental and societal problems which are also at the heart of Safran’s values. We are looking to the future by developing new solutions for tomorrow in an industry undergoing a complete transformation. This is strategic and helps our economy stay competitive. And that is what inspires the Safran Engineering Services teams!