Go check out AREVA engineer Abbey Donahue’s post at NEI’s Nuclear Notes blog.

Abbey is a Design Project Engineer for AREVA TN, and the professional development chair of the North American Young Generation in Nuclear (NA-YGN). In her post, Abbey talks about what she does, why it matters, and why she has such a passion for engineering, energy, and making a positive impact on the world.

Learn more about AREVA in North America and our broad portfolio of advanced energy technology—designed every day by innovative engineers like Abbey.

Featuring state-of-the-art equipment, AREVA’s Creusot Forge is one of only a few forges in the world capable of creating the immense, precise parts necessary for a nuclear reactor’s heavy components.

Continuing the region’s 230-year smelting heritage, AREVA’s modern facility in Le Creusot specializes in large carbon or stainless steel forgings and castings, and recently added a 9,000-ton hydraulic press to its workshop. This latest addition joins a massive 11,000 ton hydraulic press, some of the world’s most powerful furnaces, and a range of tooling equipment for high-precision finish machining.

Thanks to these powerful industrial assets, AREVA is one of the few global suppliers capable of producing forgings for a range of vital nuclear reactor components:

• Steam generator (upper, conical, and lower heads, elliptical dome, tube sheet)
• Reactor pressure vessels
• Pressurizer heads
• Primary pump castings
• Primary piping (hot and cold legs) connecting reactor and steam generators

Watch the video demonstrating and describing AREVA’s new 9,000-ton press.

This video demonstrates the process for safely transferring used nuclear fuel from a reactor into a dry shielded canister, transporting the canister to an independent spent fuel storage installation (ISFSI), and loading the canister into a fortress-like horizontal storage module.

These above-ground NUHOMS® storage modules ensure the highest level of safety and radiation shielding while enabling inspection and ease of future offsite canister transport. The concrete modules are designed to withstand earthquakes, floods and tornadoes, and have even been airplane crash tested.

Watch the video and read the Top 10 FAQs about safely managing used nuclear fuel.

By Mike McMahon, Senior Vice President, AREVA TN Americas

The topic of safely transporting and storing used nuclear fuel at U.S. nuclear energy facilities is causing a lot of discussion in communities around the country. Questions about radiation shielding, safety, and seismic capabilities are prompting the most responses, but there are also persistent misunderstandings about safely managing used nuclear fuel that muddy the conversation.

Let’s clear that up…

During our nearly 50 years of experience safely managing used nuclear fuel, we have advanced safe used nuclear fuel storage technology significantly with AREVA’s NUclear HOrizontal Modular Storage (NUHOMS®) system.

Based on that experience, let’s take a look at the…

Top 10 Used Nuclear Fuel FAQs

1. What is “high burnup fuel” and can it be safely transported and stored? “Burnup” is a term used to describe how much energy has been produced in a nuclear fuel assembly. Typical units are “Gigawatt-days per Metric Ton of Uranium” (GWD/MTU). Burnup can be thought of as the “gas mileage” for nuclear fuel because it tells us how much energy has been extracted from a given amount of uranium in the same way that “miles per gallon” tells us how far a car will go on one gallon of gas. The term “Gigawatt-days” is the amount of energy required to produce one gigawatt (1 billion watts) of power for one day (24 hours). It is similar to the more familiar term “kilowatt-hour” or “kW-hr” seen on a monthly electric bill (i.e., one kilowatt-hour is the amount of energy required to produce one kilowatt [1000 watts] of power for one hour). By way of comparison, since 1 Gigawatt is equal to 1,000,000 kilowatts, 1 Gigawatt-day is equal to 24,000,000 kilowatt-hours. Since nuclear fuel produces enormous amounts of energy, we need to use big units of measure!

   The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) considers “High Burnup” Fuel to be any fuel with a burnup higher than 45 GWD/MTU. There is nothing magical about the 45 GWD/MTU number – it is a somewhat arbitrary limit to mark the boundary between “high burnup” and “low burnup” fuel. High burnup fuel can be and has been safely stored and transported. Since 1966, AREVA has safely and successfully transported more than 75,000 used nuclear fuel assemblies, including 15,000 high burnup fuel assemblies.
    

2. How long can the storage system safely contain the high burnup fuel? The NRC issues a license for dry fuel storage systems for an initial period of 20 years. When the initial license ends, it does not mean that the system is no longer safe, it simply means it requires review and renewal – much like a driver’s license. At the end of 20 years, the NRC requires that a license renewal application be submitted, which, if approved, will extend the license for an additional increment of up to 40 years. The NRC does not place a limit on the number of 40-year renewals that can be obtained. The design life of AREVA’s NUHOMS® systems is 100+ years with an aging management program. Effective product life can be extended almost indefinitely through inspections, aging management programs, and maintenance. The NUHOMS® system’s horizontal above-ground fortress-like structure enables easy access for inspections, monitoring, and maintenance that may be needed for aging management and life extension programs.
    
3. How would a utility transport containers loaded with high burnup fuel from the utility site? Is there an NRC-licensed container approved to safely transport high burnup fuel? Yes, AREVA’s NUHOMS® MP197HB Transport Package is NRC-licensed for transportation of canisterized high burnup fuel from the utility site to a repository, to another interim storage site, or to a recycling plant, whichever options are available to receive used nuclear fuel.
    
4. Can “damaged” nuclear fuel be safely stored and then transported? Damaged fuel can unequivocally be safely stored and transported in our storage containers, just as undamaged or intact fuel can be safely stored and transported. The dry fuel storage container includes an internal basket structure that keeps the fuel assemblies separated and stable. When storing damaged fuel we either take an added step of inserting screened caps on either end of the basket compartment, or we place the fuel assembly in a separate ventilated container (called a “can”) before placing it in the basket. The damaged fuel can then be safely stored in exactly the same manner as intact fuel in our NUHOMS® system.
    
5. How do you keep the used fuel safe in an earthquake? The AREVA’s NUHOMS® system securely stores the dry fuel storage containers in a horizontal position within a sturdy, low-profile, reinforced concrete structure. Our robust earthquake-resistant design achieves the highest seismic capability of any used fuel storage system in operation today. We offer NUHOMS® module designs that are engineered for 1.5g horizontal ground acceleration and 1.0g vertical acceleration. As a reference point, people have trouble standing at 0.02g acceleration!
    
6. What happens when a tornado, or flood, or even an airplane strikes the used fuel storage site? The NUHOMS® system’s low profile, thick reinforced concrete design can weather the impact. It can withstand tornado-accelerated objects including telephone poles (13.5” diameter, 276 pounds traveling 200 mph), a steel pipe (12” diameter, 1,500 pounds, 140 mph), and an automobile (4000 pounds, 195 mph), and can safely maintain its sealed integrity when impacted by an aircraft. Flooding does not affect the above-ground NUHOMS® system’s safe operations.
    
7. What are the radiation levels at a nuclear fuel storage site? All levels are well within the required limits. Immediately next to the closest publicly-accessible area boundary, the total dose received from a dry fuel storage facility containing sealed NUHOMS® containers is less than the regulatory limit of 25 mrem over the course of one year. By way of comparison, the average American receives a dose of about 310 mrem in one year from natural background sources of radiation, such as cosmic rays and radon.
    
8. Can the storage system leak radioactive material? Nuclear fuel is in the form of solid ½” pellets contained in metal rods. No AREVA dry fuel storage systems have ever leaked radioactive material.
    
9. How long does used fuel have to stay in the reactor’s used fuel pool before it is put in a dry cask storage system? Cooling time in the reactor’s used fuel pool before dry storage is typically 5 to 7 years after the fuel’s last operation in the reactor core. Some of AREVA TN’s designs allow for storage after as short a time as 3 years.
    
10. What if a worst-case scenario actually happens inside a dry fuel canister or during the transport of a canister? We intentionally build-in design conservatism in our calculations to ensure that an AREVA dry fuel storage container is capable of safely storing fuel in the very worst case scenario. Containers are backfilled with inert Helium gas, and are designed to transfer the heat out of the fuel assemblies so that fuel will be safe during the storage period. One key way to do this is through the convection heat transfer from the fuel to the Helium in the container cavity. In our calculations, we do not credit this convection heat transfer (or cooling) inside the container cavity, so our containers are designed to manage the original higher heat levels. Our very conservative approach offers the most comprehensive, safest solution for storing fuel. In the licensing process for our transport cask, we made the worst case scenario assumption that the cladding had been damaged, and then did our calculations to ensure that the fuel would still be safe in spite of that occurrence!
     

Now that you have these answers, learn more about NUHOMS® and safe used fuel transport and storage (video) on our AREVA TN website, and watch the high-impact test video showing a 660-pound steel projectile impacting an AREVA storage container at 534 miles per hour.

By Lauren Jones, Chair, AREVA Charlotte Chapter, NAYGN

More than 400 nuclear industry young professionals came together in Scottsdale, Ariz., from May 19-21 for the annual North American Young Generation in Nuclear (NAYGN) Professional Development Conference. Among these more than 400 individuals representing utilities, suppliers, and government agencies were 23 of AREVA Inc.’s finest young professionals from six different U.S. locations.

The level of ambition shown by the conference participants was astounding. These professionals under the age of 35 are passionate about supporting the growth of the nuclear industry worldwide, and hungry for opportunities that allow them to develop their leadership skills and relationships. These individuals may become the managers, chief nuclear officers, and chief executive officers of energy industry companies in the near future. That’s forward-looking energy.

Conference attendees developed their leadership skills and networked with colleagues from around the North America region during a variety of sessions, including a hearty welcome to the Grand Canyon State from Arizona Public Services Executive VP & Chief Nuclear Officer Randy Edington; a keynote address from Dr. Roberta Ness, author of “Innovation Generation;” breakout sessions designed to enhance soft skills such as communication, innovative outreach, and setting career goals; breakout sessions to provide updates on hot industry topics (small modular reactors, long-term operation, change management); and open sessions designed to foster innovation and brainstorming among diverse groups.

AREVA leaders Tom Franch, senior vice president of Reactors & Services North America, and Scott Baumgartner, director of Innovation & Entrepreneurship, served as panelists in two breakout sessions. In addition, four ideas from the open sessions were pitched to industry executives during an Innovation Competition, in which AREVA TN’s Matthew Bowen was a finalist for his STEM education ideas.

Some key conference takeaways from AREVA NAYGN attendees:

• Sam Moore, Chair, AREVA TN Chapter: “It was inspiring to see young, ambitious professionals from across an entire industry coming together to shape the country’s energy future. Everyone in attendance was eager to form relationships, to work together, to learn from each other, and to stay in touch as they went back to their respective companies.”
• Duriem Calderin, Co-Chair, AREVA Richland Chapter: “I got a lot of motivation to keep pushing forward and try to solve complex challenges by approaching them with ‘out of the box thinking’.”
• Ryan Nash, Professional Development Chair, AREVA Charlotte Chapter: “The energy given off from this conference was that of youthfulness and excitement to meet new people, see old friends, and to try new things. The biggest takeaway about the main theme, Innovation, was the power of this generation to come up with some wild, crazy, out-of-the-box ideas that will help the industry perform safer, communicate clearer, and operate longer.”
• Matt Cagnetta, Communications Chair, AREVA Charlotte Chapter: “The opportunity to meet face-to-face with our counterparts in the industry, to discuss industry-wide issues and promote nuclear energy was invaluable. The degree of attendance at the event should bolster the confidence of executives and individual contributors alike in the determination of the nuclear industry to provide clean, inexpensive, reliable energy for the long term.”

  At the end of the conference, AREVA NAYGN members Adam Howell (Charlotte) and Abbey Donahue (AREVA TN) were honored as Excellence Award winners for work done on behalf of NAYGN in 2014. Abbey also began her two-year term as professional development chair for the NAYGN Core leadership team.

  I returned from the conference with a renewed passion for the industry I’ve worked in for nearly nine years. Though the market has changed significantly over the past few years, the cleanest, most reliable form of base load power generation – nuclear energy – remains an important piece of the energy puzzle in North America.

  The future of the nuclear industry is in the hands of more than ten thousand young professionals, who are dedicated to using innovation and best practices to ensure the continued safe operation of the North America nuclear power fleet. Thirty percent of AREVA’s North American workforce is eligible to retire today – but that doesn’t mean a pending leadership gap. NAYGN members are taking advantage of opportunities, such as the NAYGN Professional Development Conference, to ensure they are ready to lead the industry into the future.

Remarks by AREVA Inc. CEO Gary Mignogna

It is truly an honor to be with you here at the National D-Day Memorial for the 70th D-Day Anniversary Commemoration.

I have had the opportunity to visit Normandy. To walk on the beach, to see and feel the remnants of the barriers and bunkers, to hear the tales of tremendous courage and perseverance, and to be overwhelmed with emotion at the American Cemetery and Memorial that overlooks Omaha Beach.

This place where we gather today is both familiar and special to me. I grew up in Lynchburg and have called central Virginia home for the past forty-four years. I have long been aware and proud of my community’s contribution and sacrifice. Today we recognize those who fought for our freedom, we remember those whose lives were lost, and we celebrate the triumph of courage, liberty, and humanity.

The history of French-American friendship and partnership dates back more than 200 years. In 1777, George Washington, met and developed a life-long friendship with a Frenchman, General Lafayette, who went on to serve under him for the duration of the Revolutionary War. Historians describe Lafayette as the son Washington never had, and Lafayette would name his only son after Washington. Right here in the Commonwealth, Franco-American collaboration was further exemplified by the critical support from French troops in the defeat of British forces in Yorktown in 1781. That cooperation between our nations continued through the Normandy invasion and continues today.

The world has changed significantly since June 6, 1944; that day of valiant heroism, and yet we continue to strive for the dual aims of continued peace and prosperity. In a dynamic and interconnected 21st century world, clean, safe, reliable energy is inextricably linked to the sustainable prosperity of America. The deployment of clean energy technologies thereby supports both our economic and national security.

AREVA is a global nuclear and renewable energy company, headquartered in France. We are also long-term members of the Lynchburg community. This past December, we were honored to receive a Share of Stock in the Virginia Company from the Governor in recognition of our deep commitment to the growth and prosperity of the region. We are proud that our presence in Virginia echoes the long tradition of Franco-American partnership. Our forward-looking energy vision is about growth, innovation, people, and responsibility – for the benefit of our customers and communities throughout North America and the world.

We know, based on our experience, that U.S. military veterans have the training and leadership skills necessary to help us tackle the current and future needs of a world where energy demand continues to grow – more than 10% of AREVA’s 1,800 employees in the Lynchburg area are veterans.

We honor our colleagues and all veterans and active duty military for their dedication and determination – for their service and sacrifice. We renew and celebrate our shared commitment to uphold the values and ideals fundamental to America, rooted in freedom and opportunity.

Thank you for being a part of a historical day for our country, our communities, and our company – in acknowledgement of our history and in recognition of continued relations between France and the United States of America.

By Kathy Williams, Senior Vice President & Chief Financial Officer, AREVA Inc.

A few weeks ago, more than 500 energy industry leaders came together at the annual Charlotte Business Journal Energy Inc. Summit in Charlotte, N.C., where AREVA served as a presenting sponsor. I was honored to have the opportunity to participate as a speaker to share my perspective on the Carolinas Energy Hub and the energy challenges and opportunities ahead of us.

As I looked around the room before the program began, I recognized that my personal and professional journeys are very connected to the Carolinas Energy hub. I was born and raised in South Carolina, and my family members worked for SCANA and Sunbelt Rentals. Several years ago, I worked for Duke Energy. And now I work for one of North America’s leading providers of utility-scale nuclear and renewable energy products and services—AREVA Inc., headquartered in Charlotte.

Throughout the Energy Inc. Summit, it was clear that Energy Hub companies such as AREVA, Duke Energy, Westinghouse, CB&I, URS, SCANA, Sunbelt Rentals, EPRI, and others are spurring regional economic growth through the generation of safe, affordable, and reliable energy in the Carolinas and beyond.

What each of our organizations do within the Energy Hub can drive global impact, and the future of the energy industry is being shaped right here in the Carolinas. For example, the two new nuclear reactors under construction at the V.C. Summer Nuclear Power Station near Jenkinsville, S.C., reflect America’s continued commitment to sustaining the world’s largest nuclear energy fleet. EPRI’s global expertise and leadership facilitates innovative research and better technology to benefit all participants in the energy industry. Because of AREVA employees’ proven commitment to safety, innovation, and operational excellence, our customers can rely on our products and services to advance the quality and performance of their nuclear power facilities around the world.

AREVA and other Energy Hub members are also investing in the future energy industry by supporting Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) education in the Carolinas and throughout the United States. By 2018, the U.S. industry will have more than 1 million job openings in STEM-related fields. Yet, we are not graduating nearly enough STEM majors to meet this demand. Thirty percent of AREVA’s American workforce is eligible to retire in the next few years, which means that we must hire 175-300 early career professionals—primarily with STEM and technical backgrounds. To that end, AREVA and our Energy Hub partners continue supporting STEM initiatives, such as STEMersion, EPIC at UNC Charlotte, Project Lift, and many more.

Thanks to this innovation and collaboration in the Carolinas, growth continues and more opportunities are coming. Energy Hub partners share a commitment to further economic growth, employment, productivity and prosperity. For our part, AREVA will continue developing innovative ideas for generating clean, safe, and reliable electricity to power prosperity in the Carolinas and beyond. That’s forward-looking energy.

Thanks to Planetary blogger Emily Lakdawalla for posting the current “selfie” of dusty Mars rover Curiosity (see image below), and revealing a peak-a-boo view of equipment from AREVA-subsidiary CANBERRA. 

The Curiosity rover carries 10 scientific instruments, one of which is CANBERRA’s Radiation Assessment Detector (RAD). About the size of a small toaster, the RAD includes 72 CANBERRA detectors to help measure and identify all high-energy radiation on the Martian surface, such as protons, energetic ions of various elements, neutrons and gamma rays. 

The data collected by CANBERRA’s RAD detector will help scientists calculate the equivalent dose people would be exposed to on the surface of Mars. This measurement of Martian radiation’s potential effect on humans will help prepare and protect future astronauts exploring the Red Planet.

Just another example of how AREVA technology is out of this world!

Nothing has changed—the MOX option is still the best option for fulfilling America’s surplus plutonium disposal nonproliferation treaty with Russia in the most timely and efficient manner.

Yesterday’s Department of Energy (DOE) announcement that construction will continue at the MOX Fuel Fabrication Facility (MFFF) through FY2014 and their release of the Surplus Plutonium Disposition Options analysis revealed this singular point … nothing has changed.

1. The funding approved by Congress for constructing the MFFF in South Carolina will continue to be used for the purpose for which it was intended.
2. The prior DOE studies evaluating and identifying the MOX option as the best option have been confirmed in light of today’s budget, technology, and political realities.

Again, the five processes considered for plutonium disposal were:

Option 1: Irradiation of MOX Fuel in Light Water Reactors (LWRs), i.e. MFFF or MOX Project;

Option 2: Irradiation of Plutonium Fuel in Fast Reactors;

Option 3: Immobilization (Ceramic or Glass Form) with High‐Level Waste;

Option 4: Downblending and Disposal; and,

Option 5: Deep Borehole Disposal.

A few key points from the new Options report (see summary chart on page 35):

1. The MOX option is the only one that does not require treaty renegotiation and approval with Russia.
2. The MOX option would complete the plutonium disposal earlier than any other option.
3. The MOX option costs less than the Fast Reactor option and the Immobilization in Glass option.
4. The MOX option does not have the significant siting requirements of the Downblending option and the Deep Borehole Disposal option.
5. The MOX option is 60% constructed with a mature design, while analyses of the four other conceptual options are based on a range of uncertainties in technology, feasibility, regulatory, and siting assumptions.
6. The MOX option is the only option that meets all of the treaty criteria for irretrievability of weapons-grade plutonium 239 through isotopic degradation, thereby ensuring nonproliferation.
7. Plus, a key point from page 32: U.S. utilities have not entered into agreements for MOX fuel because the DOE has delayed signing the already-negotiated Blanket Commercial Agreement (BCA) while it reconsidered plutonium disposal options.

… and an important point not assessed in the report: The MOX option is the only option to potentially create value, as realized in the expected quantity of MOX nuclear fuel generating an estimated $50 billion in reliable, clean air electricity for American homes and businesses.

Again, nothing has changed. The MOX option is still the best option for fulfilling America’s surplus plutonium disposal nonproliferation treaty with Russia in the most timely and efficient manner.

AREVA Inc. employees actively support Earth Day (4/22) values of environmental stewardship and sustainability by organizing activities and participating in outreach events at our sites throughout North America.

We also proudly support and recognize our energy partners’ environmental leadership and initiatives—like those of Southern California Edison (SCE).

At the 5th Annual Ballona Watershed Warriors Celebration yesterday evening, Friends of Ballona Wetlands honored SCE for the company’s leadership in ongoing environmental protection and conservation work, including the San Dieguito Wetlands Restoration Project and the Wheeler North artificial giant kelp reef.

SCE provides steady, reliable electricity from clean air nuclear power and other sources to businesses and communities in Southern and Central California, and is an important partner in supporting continued efforts regarding energy efficiency and clean air energy.

With a similar commitment to the environment shown through AREVA’s low-carbon nuclear power generation technologies and services, our safe used nuclear fuel storage solutions, our California-based solar energy subsidiary, and our employees’ community volunteerism, we are proud to support the work of Friends of Ballona and their recognition of Southern California Edison.