Nearly 50 youth attending the 2012 League of United Latino American Citizens (LULAC) National Convention accepted the AREVA Nuclear Energy Rap Session challenge and, in only two hours, developed and produced catchy music videos like the top four posted to our AREVAinc YouTube channel.

These youth from across the U.S. gathered their rap material from nuclear energy information and videos we presented during an AREVA-hosted trip from the conference in Orlando to the interactive “Energy Encounter” exhibit at the Florida Power and Light (FPL) St. Lucie nuclear facility. Once there, FPL’s Vickie Spencer involved the students in lively demonstrations on how a nuclear energy facility produces thousands of megawatts of electricity without carbon emissions.

The LULAC youths’ creative video results and clear messaging show the value of engaging this influential demographic to start these future leaders thinking about preparing for careers in science, technology, engineering and math, and to better understand nuclear energy’s benefits as a reliable, powerful clean energy source. Go enjoy the of “Hard Hats and Tight Suits,” “Back in School,” “If I Was Your Power Plant,” and “Nuclear Pearls. “

LULAC has been an active member of AREVA’s Community Advisory Council since its inception and helped guide our energy education efforts from the perspective of this influential community. Outreach efforts like these help AREVA strengthen relationships with national and regional communities to better understand their energy needs and concerns, and inform them about clean energy technologies.

The Wall Street Journal Japan looks at a Japanese economic impact of their nuclear choices on Japanese workers and finds various estimates, but all of them concerning:

The Japan Atomic Industrial Forum, a domestic nuclear industry body, puts the total number of those employed in nuclear power, including utilities and parts makers, at 46,882, as of the end of fiscal 2010. The Radiation Effects Association, meanwhile, gives a much higher figure of 75,988 for the same year. This government-affiliated organization registers workers involved in radiation-related jobs, but its figure for the nuclear sector may include people who remain registered despite no longer working in the industry.

But an international comparison suggests both numbers are on the low side, especially considering nuclear power accounted for about 30% of Japan’s total power generation before the Fukushima Daiichi accident…

If these figures suggest a fairly sizable impact on employment if reactors stay offline, the nation’s premier believes the overall effect could be even bigger.

read more…

ATMEA, a joint venture of AREVA and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI), announced today that national utility Nucleoeléctrica Argentina (NA-SA) had pre-qualified the ATMEA1 technology as a possibility for the construction of NA-SA’s fourth nuclear power plant. By pre-selecting the ATMEA1 technology, NA-SA acknowledges that the ATMEA1 reactor is a qualified design that could meet the most stringent safety requirements and fit needs of the NA-SA.

“After Jordan pre-selection of the ATMEA1 design last May and as confirmed by the recent positive statement of the French Safety Authority ASN on the ATMEA1 reactor’s safety options, this NA-SA decision confirms the trust being placed in the ATMEA1 technology,” said Philippe Namy, ATMEA President.

In Canada, the ATMEA1 reactor is undergoing pre-project design review with the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission (CNSC). The ATMEA1 has been proposed for the New Brunswick Clean Energy Park and is available for consideration for the Ontario new reactor project.

Argentina has recently revised its strategic plan for the country’s nuclear power sector, including the construction of a fourth nuclear reactor. Here is what a report in the World Nuclear News had to say:

The reactor being touted for this nuclear island – the ATMEA1 design – is an 1100 MWe pressurized water reactor which combines technologies from both companies. According to the companies, the design features long operation cycles, short refuelling outages and the load-following ability to adjust power output by 5% per minute. The Atmea1′s safety features include both passive and active systems, including a core catcher.

Click to read more about the ATMEA1 reactor and explore the ATMEA1 animation.

By Mary Beth Ginder, AREVA Inc.

AREVA North American representatives at the international Meeting AREVA track & field competition in Paris, France.

In the fervor leading up to the 2012 Summer Olympics, AREVA is busy getting in on the action – at least in the track & field arena. Since late 2009, AREVA has sponsored the French Athletics Federation and the French Track & Field Team, a sponsorship that culminates each year at the “Meeting AREVA,” an international track meet held in Paris’ Stade de France.

As in years past, the Meeting AREVA 2012 was a source of excitement for the world-class athletes and the audience. Seventeen AREVA employees from the U.S. and Canada won tickets in an internal AREVA contest to attend the event on July 6 and cheered as athletes vaulted, jumped and sprinted to victory. Several Olympic-medal hopefuls were in attendance on Friday, including Australia’s Sally Pearson winning the women’s 100-meter hurdles, USA’s Tyson Gay sprinting to victory in the men’s 100-meter hurdles, and France’s Renaud Lavillenie, who cleared the pole vault at 5.77 meters.

Even though the Meeting AREVA is hosted in Paris, AREVA’s athletic sponsorships extend beyond French borders and Olympic-level sprinters. Here in North America, AREVA employees stay healthy and energized through participation in local running races scheduled near our many sites. For every mile run or walked by AREVA employees, the AREVA Foundation donates money to regional charities fighting illiteracy. In the U.S. and Canada, our employees run and walk to raise money for Reach Out and Read and the Saskatchewan Literacy Network, respectively.

This year our AREVA North America employees ran a combined 40,000 miles (66,000km), which will result in financial donations to both literacy charities—a victory for everyone involved.