by Jarret Adams

AREVA’s first U.S. Supplier Day in Baltimore played to a full house as representatives from more than 100 current and potential suppliers came to learn about how they can partner with AREVA to build new EPR™ reactors in the United States and internationally. Maryland is the first stop in a series of Supplier Days to be held in states where U.S. EPR™ reactors are planned.

The Supplier Day focused on the first project planned for the U.S. EPR™ reactor is under development by UniStar Nuclear Energy LLC, a joint venture between Constellation Energy and EDF. The new nuclear plant would be located adjacent to Constellation’s Calvert Cliffs Nuclear Power Plant in southern Maryland.

“AREVA is committed to the revival of the U.S. nuclear energy industry and is investing in new nuclear projects around the country, and now we are looking for partners who can help us manufacture U.S. EPR™ nuclear plants that are ‘Made in America,’” said Mike Rencheck, President and CEO of AREVA NP Inc. “The strong response to our call for partners confirms our conviction that the AREVA EPR™ technology offers the path of greatest certainty for new nuclear power generation and to brings jobs to U.S. communities.”

In addition to creating thousands of jobs and spurring billions of dollars of investment into the regional economy, this project would require hundreds of qualified suppliers and subcontractors. That is why is AREVA is moving forward now to find the right partners not just to build new EPR™ reactors but to help revive the U.S. nuclear industry.

Here’s a great piece about the event from the Baltimore Sun.

AREVA executives cut the ribbon on the new Chemistry and Materials Center.

Today in Virginia we at AREVA celebrated the grand opening of a new, $6.5 million Chemistry and Materials Center (CMC). It’s an 8,000 square foot, two-story building at our facility in Campbell County. Here several labs will work and provide key services to help AREVA’s customers with their continuing efforts to fight corrosion damage to plant components and fuel.

For the already operating nuclear power plants, the CMC will dedicate general and specialized chemistry, corrosion, and metallurgical testing and analysis support. It will also aid with the design development and deployment for the US EPR™.

Why is reducing corrosion damage so important? The Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) estimated in a study from 2001 that corrosion damage costs the U.S. electric power generating industry $17.3 billion annually or nearly 8% of the cost of electricity to consumers. As much as half of all forced outages at power plants can be traced back to corrosion damage, and this $3.8 billion cost is considered avoidable.

As AREVA NP Inc. CEO Michael Rencheck pointed out, “Our new Chemistry and Materials Center will increase efficiency at current plants helping utilities control costs that are eventually passed on to the consumer.” But the CMC is also great news for Central Virginia. Bryan David, the executive director of Virginia’s Region 2000 Economic Development Council, said that “AREVA, with its growing, high-skilled base of employees, is doing the right things to help our region provide a supportive environment for business and knowledge creation.”