| FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 2, 2004
Areva decontamination method chosen for demonstration and testing at the Hanford site
Bethesda, MD, June 2, 2004 - AREVA, through its subsidiary
companiesCOGEMA, Inc., STMI, and Framatome ANP, Inc. together with Thompson
Mechanical, Inc. and team lead Lucas Engineering and Management Services, Inc. has been selected by Fluor Hanford, Inc. to design, fabricate and test an innovative gel spray decontamination system. The contract covers work to be carried out through September 2004 and includes options for work in 2005 and 2006.
The gel product, developed and patented by AREVA subsidiary STMI, will undergo
demonstration testing mid-July 2004 The system works by spraying the surface to be
decontaminated with the gel which reacts with metals so that contaminants are leached out.
When the process is complete, the gel becomes a white powder that can be removed by
vacuuming.
“We believe this technology offers our customers a proven technology that will
minimize worker exposure inherent with any decontamination activity and represents a
significant cost savings over current baseline technology,” said Martin Talbot,
President of COGEMA, Inc. “The technology is applicable not only to
glove boxes, but to other types of equipment requiring decontamination. We are confident
the gel system is suitable for use in other facilities, not only at Hanford but throughout
the DOE complex”.
Fluor Hanford, an M&O contractor for the Department of Energy at the Hanford Site in
Richland, Washington, is evaluating the gel spray decontamination system, among other new
technologies, as part of ongoing D&D activities at the Hanford Plutonium Finishing Plant
(PFP).
###
More about
With manufacturing facilities in over 40 countries and a sales network in over 100, AREVA offers its clients technological solutions for nuclear energy production and electricity transmission and distribution.
AREVA also provides interconnect systems, principally in the telecommunications,
computer and automotive markets.
The 70,000 AREVA employees are thus committed to the major challenges of the 21 st century: access to energy for everyone, preservation of the planet and responsibility toward future generations.
For more information: www.AREVA.com |
