AREVA Newport News

Key Facts: Location: Newport News, Va.
Owner: AREVA Newport News, Newport News, Va.
Contractor/Engineer: CH2M HILL, Englewood, Colo.
Start Date: July 2009
Completion Date: January 2012

The $360-million AREVA Newport News nuclear power reactor manufacturing facility in Newport News, Va., will produce components needed to construct new nuclear power plants.

The 330,000-sq-ft facility on a site adjacent to Northrup Grumman�s shipyard started in July and will complete in 2012.

AREVA of Bethesda, Md., and Northrup Grumman Shipbuilding of Newport News formed a joint venture to design, engineer and manufacture large components, such as reactor vessels, steam generators, pressurizers and heavy supports for AREVA�s Evolutionary Power Reactor. AREVA holds 67% of the partnership and Northrup 33%.

More than 500 people will work at the commercial nuclear manufacturing facility, with an estimated 180 engineers and managers and 170 jobs in skilled crafts. Capital equipment will include complex machine tools such as horizontal boring mills, vertical turning lathes, heat treating furnaces and X-ray equipment.

The facility will have access to Northrup�s 1,000-ton crane for loading components onto barges.

AREVA indicates this is the first full-scale heavy manufacturing facility to produce components weighing more than 500 tons for the U.S. commercial nuclear industry. The components are nearly 80 ft long and have a diameter of more than 20 ft. They will not contain any nuclear fuel or nuclear materials. All nuclear work takes place after components arrive at the domestic power generating facility.