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.

Yesterday the United States actually saw a clear step in the nuclear energy renaissance as AREVA and Northrop Grumman Shipbuilding put shovels in the ground. The two leaders in the nuclear industry broke ground on what will be a 330,000 square-foot heavy components manufacturing facility in Newport News, Va.

AREVA Newport News LLC is the joint venture that the two companies formed last October to build this facility that will manufacture the heavy components for nuclear power plants. It’s the first heavy component manufacturing facility built in the U.S. in 35 years. These heavy components will be the “guts” of future AREVA U.S. EPR™ reactors as well as other EPR™ projects linking the supply chain all over the world.

“This is a significant and concrete step in the revival of the U.S. nuclear energy sector,” said Anne Lauvergeon, CEO of AREVA. “The path of certainty for the deployment of the EPR reactor in the United States goes through Viriginia.”

The project represent a commitment to the state as well as the industry. It will bring an investment of more than $360 million and 500 skilled jobs to Virginia—one that will provide green energy jobs and keep the regional economy strong.

The mayor of Newport News, Joe Frank, and Virginia Governor Tim Kaine were there to celebrate this great occasion for industry and energy in the region. Governor Kaine said, “AREVA Newport News and Virginia have launched a powerful partnership built on our shared goals of promoting green energy and energy efficiency.”

When AREVA Newport News comes online—expected in 2012—it will produce the critical EPR™ heavy components, including reactor vessels, steam generators, and pressurizers. As the AREVA EPR™ is the only Generation III+ reactor currently under construction today, the components represent a critical supply for meeting future, growing, and clean energy needs-particularly in the U.S.

To watch the webcast of yesterday’s groundbreaking, click here

Stay tuned for live coverage as AREVA and Northrop Grumman Shipbuilding will break out the shovels for the construction of 330,000-square-foot manufacturing and engineering facility.

This evening at 6:00 pm EDT, the two leaders in the U.S. nuclear industry will be breaking ground on a new manufacturing and engineering facility in Newport News, Virginia. The joint venture, AREVA Newport News LLC, will build the heaving components for new nuclear plants, a $360 million investment that will create more than 500 jobs.

Noted appearances will include: Virginia Governor Timothy Kaine, AREVA CEO Anne Lauvergeon, Northrop Grumman Shipbuilding President Mike Petters, AREVA Newport News General Manager Chris Levesque, and Newport News Mayor Joe Frank.

UPDATE:

Watch it live on the streaming webcast

The live webcast is now archived for viewing on demand here.

In this difficult economic climate, there has been much talk among policymakers and others about investing the energy infrastructure and creating new green jobs. Renewables are often mentioned are key elements in creating green jobs, but often overlooked is the contribution that investment in nuclear energy is already making in creating green jobs.

By the end of 2008, approximately 15,000 new jobs had been created by private investment in new nuclear power plants, according to a recent NEI study. The study projects that if all 26 reactor projects that have submitted license applications are built more than 60,000 new construction jobs will be created.

This includes only new nuclear power plant construction, which each would require about 2,500 workers at peak times. But the nuclear energy industry requires many other facilities, for manufacturing, enrichment, etc., that will also require significant numbers of workers.

Some have suggested the reason nuclear energy did not figure more prominently in the recent stimulus package is that the jobs nuclear projects will create are longer term and not “shovel-ready.” This is simply not true.

AREVA, with its partner Northrop Grumman, plans to break ground this summer on a new facility in Newport News, Va., for manufacturing heavy components for nuclear plants. This project will create more than 500 skilled jobs. The output from this facility also will enable AREVA to provide 90 percent American content for its U.S. EPR™ reactor.

AREVA also is developing its Eagle Rock Enrichment Facility, which the company plans to build outside Idaho Falls. This multibillion-dollar facility will require 1,000 workers to build and 350 to operate once complete. The company estimates the project will create approximately 5,000 direct and indirect jobs through the life of the project.

We are also hiring significant numbers of engineers to complete the detailed design work for our U.S. EPR reactor. In effect, AREVA is making significant investment to help revive the nuclear energy industry in the United States. However, the fate of these projects still will depend on the ability to finance these projects and the U.S. government loan guarantee program will play a critical role in this.

AREVA’s competitors also are developing facilities that will create many additional jobs. All together, firms involved in clean energy clan play a significant role in helping kick-start the economy with new jobs and create the energy infrastructure that the nation will need in years to come.