On his Weekly Washington Update, Virginia Representative Rob Wittman discussed his recent visit to the AREVA Newport News facility under development in Newport News Virginia. As part of a joint venture with Northrop Grumman Shipbuilding, AREVA is working to construct a facility that will manufacture the heavy components for nuclear power plants. More information on this project here.

“Last week I also had the opportunity to visit AREVA Newport News, a company that manufactures components for nuclear power plants.  AREVA partnered up with Northrop Grumman Shipbuilding to build a fantastic facility that will create over 250 private sector jobs on the Peninsula.  This is great news not only for the Hampton Roads economy, but also for our energy security. 

Nuclear power is clean and affordable, and it should be an important part of our comprehensive energy policy.  With so many concerns about clean air and greenhouse gas emissions, nuclear power is a safe and reliable carbon emission free source of electric power.  Many countries are rapidly developing their nuclear industries, including China, which is expected to complete 22 nuclear energy reactors this year and has plans for over 100 additional reactors in the near future. The United States, on the other hand, hasn’t ordered a new reactor since 1978.

Currently, about one third of Virginia’s electricity is supplied by nuclear power, and our energy demands are expected to significantly increase in the next few decades.  I believe that in order to meet these challenges, we need a comprehensive energy policy that relies on American-made resources, including nuclear energy, natural gas, oil, coal, and renewable and alternative sources such as wind and solar power.  Nuclear energy is a reliable source of electricity, both environmentally and economically, and I enjoyed the opportunity to visit the folks at AREVA Newport News who are making this power source a reality.”
 
Check out images from the visit.

The Daily Press of Newport News, Virginia has a poll up on their website asking if AREVA Newport News is good for the Newport News area – and we’re pleased to report that at the moment, 66% of respondents say “yes.” We (obviously) couldn’t agree more! Not only will the AREVA Newport News facility bring hundreds of jobs to the Newport News area, but it’ll also bring heavy components manufacturing back to the U.S. – reducing our dependence on foreign suppliers. Though this poll isn’t scientific, it’s still a good indicator that people in the Newport News area agree with us, and are excited about our partnership and the benefit to the local economy.

Architectural rendition of AREVA Newport News

by Katherine Berezowskyj

Today in the Washington Post, the focus was on the role of nuclear energy in the climate bill.

“The elements of a nuclear package under discussion include investment tax credits, a doubling or more of the existing $18.5 billion in federal loan guarantees for new plants, giving nuclear plants access to a new clean energy development bank, federally financed training for nuclear plant workers, a new look at reprocessing nuclear fuel, and a streamlining of the regulatory approval process, according to corporate, congressional and administration sources.

Designed to put nuclear power on an even footing with wind and solar, the package comes on top of existing incentives, such as the production tax credit…

Even relatively liberal lawmakers such as Sen. Mark Udall (D-Colo.) are talking about the need to insert nuclear power incentives into a climate bill. President Obama has said he is open to new nuclear plants. And Energy Secretary Steven Chu has said that the country should “not stop at three or four, but should get tens of [new] reactors.”

The article also mentions AREVA Newport News, the AREVA and Northrop Grumman $360 million heavy components manufacturing facility currently under construction. Jacques Besnainou, AREVA North America President, was also quoted saying “Nuclear is not the only solution for the U.S., but there’s no solution without nuclear energy.”

However the subject of taxpayer subsidies and federal loan guarantees should have a little more attention. Saying that the industry is “relying on subsidies” is not accurate of the loan guarantee program. Loan guarantees provide a federal backstop so that companies can obtain the financing for developing new projects. According to the Department of Energy, loan guarantees “support early commercial use of advanced technologies, if “there is reasonable prospect of repayment of the principal and interest on the obligation by the borrower.” The program was established to support the development of clean energy technologies, like nuclear energy, especially in the tight capital market.

See the full article, “A Nuclear Power Boost for Bill,” for more discussion of nuclear energy as a part of this key climate legislation.

by Katherine Berezowskyj

After breaking ground in July, the AREVA Newport News facility continues to develop in Virginia where AREVA and joint-venture partners Northrop Grumman are building a heavy component manufacturing facility. In the latest construction progress a new contract was announced today with CH2M Hill who will provide engineering, procurement and construction management services for AREVA Newport News.

This $360 million facility will manufacture heavy components, including reactor vessels, pressurizers, and steam generators, which are all critical pieces for new US EPR™ reactors. With an expected completion date of January 2012, the 330,000 square-foot facility will create more than 500 permanent jobs for Virginia.

What this means for the revival of nuclear energy in the United States was pointed out by AREVA NP Inc. President and CEO Mike Rencheck who said that “the construction of the AREVA Newport News manufacturing facility is evidence of the U.S. nuclear resurgence and AREVA’s leading role in increasing the generation of safe, clean, affordable electricity for America.”

Check out the AREVA US website for more information on AREVA Newport News.

Beginning this week, as part of our mission to expand CO2-free energy in the United States, AREVA has launched a six-week campaign that highlights our American job creation and contribution to clean-air energy generation in the U.S.

The ad points out that we have 6,000 employees currently working throughout the country building a new American generation for energy generation. We are excited to convey AREVA’s critical impact on the American economy, including our strong relationships with our 5,000 American suppliers.

AREVA's American Jobs Ad - click to enlarge

This impact includes the thousand of jobs and billions in investment that we are creating right now with two of our latest projects. The AREVA Newport News facility is a partnership with Northrop Grumman to build a $363 million manufacturing plant. This facility now under construction in Virginia will bring back to American soil the capability to build critical reactor components. Another important project is our Eagle Rock Enrichment Facility in Idaho. In addition to creating over 5,000 jobs and billions of dollars in investment, this state-of-the-art facility will provide indispensable domestically enriched uranium to fuel our American reactor fleet, strengthening our nation’s energy security.

You will be able to see AREVA’s ad on these sites and publications during September and October:

• The Hill
• National Journal
• Politico
• Salon

Or pick up a copy of today’s Washington Post.

On Sept. 6 AREVA announced a major milestone with the installation of the massive reactor building inner dome for the Olkiluoto 3 EPR™ reactor in Finland.

This is a significant step in the reactor’s construction as it’s now the first generation III+ plant in the world with a covered reactor building. This step also marks the end of the civil works phase. Weighing 210 tons and measuring over 150 feet in diameter, the steel inner dome was put in place with one of the most powerful cranes in the world.

AREVA is using this experience and expertise in nuclear reactor design and construction for its US EPR™ reactor. Eight US EPR™ reactors are currently under consideration for the United States and four are already undergoing licensing.

In preparation for this new reactor boom, AREVA recently broke ground on a manufacturing facility in Newport News, Virginia. This facility will provide the heavy components which are critical pieces for these U.S. EPR™ reactors.

More information on the US EPR™ is available here and for AREVA Newport News, LLC.

Watch a video of the dome installation here.

And stay tuned for updates as AREVA builds the next generation of nuclear generation around the world.

by Katherine Berezowskyj

And you thought all historical landmarks had to be old and falling apart…well this is certainly not true of AREVA’s Chalon/Saint-Marcel plant. It is an advanced facility that manufactures the heavy components in nuclear power plants. Nonetheless, Chalon/Saint-Marcel did just receive the American Nuclear Society’s (ANS) Nuclear Historic Landmark Award which recognizes sites that have greatly contributed to the development of nuclear energy and implementation of advanced industrial technology.

The Chalon/Saint-Marcel facility received this recognition because it’s a world leader in the manufacturing of heavy reactor components─ reactor vessel, vessel head, steam generator, and pressurizer─ and because it’s a critical piece to AREVA’s integrated model for providing a complete solution for nuclear power generation to our customers. The facility was commissioned in 1975 and has produced more than 500 components, all of which have met the high quality standards for nuclear power stations. In addition to the constant modernization of equipment and continuous work in R&D, Chalon/Saint-Marcel has seen some major investment since 2006, ensuring that the facility remains top-of-the-line.

With the success that AREVA has seen in the production of heavy components here, we are using it as a model for our plans in Virginia. Based on of the Chalon/Saint Marcel facility, we are building AREVA Newport News, a $363 million heavy component manufacturing facility, primarily for U.S. EPR™ reactors. It is a joint venture between AREVA and Northrop Grumman Shipbuilding that broke ground at the end of July and will employ more than 500 people when finished.

We have more information on AREVA Newport News here.

UVAToday, a University of Virginia publication, includes a feature on the partnership between its School of Engineering and Applied Science and AREVA. The partnership includes dedicated funding for educational and research programs, and provides an excellent opportunity for tomorrow’s engineers to gain practical experience today in the field of nuclear engineering.

AREVA, a global nuclear energy company headquartered in Paris, with a facility in Lynchburg, represents an important corporate partner to the Engineering School. The company has been a champion of an undergraduate engineering distance-learning program, Engineers PRODUCED in Virginia, since its creation in 2007.

The program began taking shape in 2006 when AREVA foresaw the need for more engineers to meet the demands of the emerging nuclear renaissance in the United States. This renaissance–and need for engineers–includes the AREVA Newport News facility, development of the Clean Energy Park in Ohio, and the Eagle Rock Enrichment Facility in Idaho.

Engineers PRODUCED in Virginia is one solution to the shortage. At varying levels, AREVA is now sponsoring more than 40 students in the program, offering mentorships, paying tuition and book costs and offering employment to graduates. The company also allows flex-time to its current employees so they can complete the program while working.

Jacob Bumgarner, currently enrolled in the program online as a University of Virginia student and an AREVA engineering intern, comments:

This program has allowed me to continue living at home, while working and earning an engineering degree from one of the most prestigious schools in the country. I am also lucky enough to be sponsored by AREVA, so I am able to learn something from school, and then come to work and actually see how it is used.

Here’s the full article from UVAToday.

Energy Secretary Stephen Chu at the G8 summit testifying before the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee:

I think nuclear power is going to be a very important factor in getting us to a low carbon future…Quite frankly, we want to recapture the lead on industrial nuclear power. We have lost that lead as we have lost the lead in many energy technologies and we want to get it back.

Correction: Chu didn’t go to G8. Our mistake. Thanks to Rod Adams for letting us know.

AREVA Newport News

by Jarret Adams

AREVA has unveiled plans to further increase its production capacity at its Chalon/Saint-Marcel manufacturing facility in eastern France, to keep pace with its strong international growth.

During the coming years, the group will invest €35 million ($47 million) in the plant, which will enable it to produce the heavy components for the equivalent of 2.7 EPR™ reactors per year, from its current capacity of around 1.7 EPR reactors.

The Chalon/Saint Marcel plant is the model on which AREVA Newport News, an AREVA and Northrop Grumman joint venture, will be based. The construction of the 300,000-square-foot facility will begin this summer with completion anticipated in early 2012. The facility represents a $360 million investment and will create about 500 new jobs.

AREVA’s investments in Chalon/Saint Marcel and AREVA Newport News is powerful evidence of the reality of the nuclear power resurgence and the company’s commitment to it.