Veolia builds training facility at Pennsylvania nuclear services site

Veolia in North America through its subsidiary (Veolia ES Alaron) has partnered with customer Mitsubishi Nuclear Energy Systems (MNES), to build a training facility at Veolia’s Alaron Nuclear Services site in Wampum, Pa.

MNES will conduct hands-on training and qualification of the Mitsubishi Water Jet Peening (WJP) process in the facility’s radiological controlled environment.

Completed at the end of May 2016, Veolia built the facility at its radioactive-licensed site to allow MNES, the U.S.-based nuclear subsidiary of Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd., to train engineers on its water jet peening process. By building the facility at the Alaron site, MNES is able to provide training under realistic plant environments with actual WJP equipment in advance of project implementation, thereby presenting a highly qualified workforce to its own customers’ worksites.

“We are pleased we could help MNES provide an authentic training setting for their engineers,” said Bob Cappadona, senior vice president for Veolia North America Industrial Business. “When we have the opportunity to help our customers achieve operational and workforce excellence, we take it. It’s a way for us to reinforce our commitment to them and ultimately develop stronger, mutually beneficial relationships.”

Earlier this year, Veolia acquired Kurion, a nuclear facility cleanup specialist credited for stabilizing Japan’s Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant in the wake of the 2011 tsunami. Branded Kurion Veolia, it is Veolia’s worldwide nuclear services division providing an integrated offering in nuclear facility cleanup and treatment of low and medium-level radioactive waste. Veolia’s Alaron Nuclear Services will roll up into Kurion Veolia at the start of 2017.