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Creating New U.S. Jobs
By François Martineau, Areva NP.
The American Nuclear Society
(ANS) recognized AREVA’s Chalon/St.
Marcel nuclear plant component manufacturing
plant by designating it as a Nuclear
Historic Landmark during its 2008
winter meeting. ANS recognizes Nuclear
Historic Landmarks to identify and memorialize
sites or facilities where outstanding
physical accomplishments took
place, and which were instrumental in
the development and implementation of
nuclear technology and the peaceful uses
of nuclear energy. The Chalon/St. Marcel
plant, set on 87.5 acres in the Burgundy
region of France, was completed in 1975
in an area with a long history of specialized
metalworking and mechanical activities.
Francois Martineau, AREVA NP
Marketing and Client Support Manager,
accepted the award on behalf of AREVA.
1. Please share the accomplishments
leading to the award by the American
Nuclear Society?
In 1975 we initially began manufacturing
all the large nuclear components
for the French nuclear plant fleet,
which totaled more than 50 units. Since
that time, we have continuously produced
high quality steam generators, pressurizers,
and reactor vessels for plants worldwide.
More than 600 heavy components
have been manufactured there. It is truly
an honor for Chalon/St. Marcel to be
recognized as a historic facility that has
provided exceptional service to the commercial
nuclear power industry.
2. What is AREVA’s motivation behind
the U.S. plant for heavy equipment
manufacture in Newport News, Va.?
The Chalon/St. Marcel plant’s average
annual production is the equivalent of
1.7 EPR units. We expect to bring the
capacity to 2.7 EPR units in the coming
years. However, the Chalon/St Marcel
An interview by Newal Agnihotri, Editor,
Nuclear Plant Journal at the American
Nuclear Society Winter Meeting in
November, 2008 held in Reno, Nevada.
plant capacity alone will not be sufficient
to support the strong worldwide demand
for nuclear power. That’s why we need
the new facility at Newport News, Va.
This new plant will manufacture steam
generators, reactor vessel heads, and
pressurizers, primarily for the American
market.
With AREVA Newport News, we will
increase the U.S. content for new, Generation
III-plus nuclear plants in the U.S.A.,
and we will share more than 30 years of
operation experience from our facility at
Chalon/St. Marcel. Chris Levesque, who
comes out of our operation in Lynchburg,
Va., has been appointed the General
Manager of AREVA Newport News and
will oversee the construction and startup
of the facility as well as operations
once completed. AREVA Newport News,
LLC, is a joint venture with Northrop
Grumman Shipbuilding.
3. Who manufactures reactor pressure
vessel forgings in the world? Is AREVA
considering China and India as their
resources for these forgings?
One of the suppliers for the forgings
is Creusot Forge, which is owned and
managed by AREVA NP. We also are
working with Japan Steel Works (JSW).
At the end of last year we signed another
agreement with them to ensure we have
the capacity for all the forgings we need
for all future EPR units. We just finished
a number of contracts in the U.S.A. for
François Martineau
François Martineau is Marketing and
Client Support Manager in the AREVA
NP Equipment Business Unit, which is
responsible for managing manufacturing
operations. He has 30 years of nuclear
power industry experience, including
project manager for numerous nuclear
plant component replacement contracts.
Most recently, from 2004 to 2008, Mr.
Martineau was a project manager for the
St. Lucie 2 steam generator, pressurizer
and reactor vessel closure head
replacements. His education specialty
is in general mechanics and welding
processes.
the component replacement market. We
delivered steam generators, pressurizers
and reactor vessel closure heads. These
forgings were made by JSW. We have a
very good partnership with them. There is
one NSSS component forging that is not
made in France at this time (the reactor
pressure vessel nozzle shell). With our
long- term agreement with JSW, AREVA
is on track to meet worldwide nuclear
demand.
We have a technical partnership with
China. Many technicians from our facility
provide support to new manufacturers
in China. We can apply this same knowledge-sharing
process anywhere in the
world, and we are willing to teach others.
AREVA also is working with India to find
resources to manufacture components.
4. How many jobs are expected to be
created with this new Newport News
Plant?
We anticipate that the plant will create
more than 500 jobs. Construction will
begin this summer, and it represents a $360
million-plus investment in manufacturing
in the U.S.A. It is important to note that
the U.S. EPR plant will be made in the
U.S.A.
5. Please share AREVA’s experience
on material degradation and related
equipment replacements to ensure better
maintenance and longer life of nuclear
power plants?
36 www.nuclearplantjournal.com Nuclear Plant Journal, May-June 2009