Eastern Idaho Gathering Energy
Last year I went on the INL tour and was really impressed with the aggressiveness that INL was licensing of their technology and also working to get companies to move their little corner of the world.
I don’t know how much INL played in the decision for Areva to move to Eastern Idaho but I do think that it is a great move for the State.
I’m a big fan of technology clusters. With INL and the multiple startups and partnerships they have out there, now combined with the Areva plant, we have the makings of a major explosion er..uh.. strong case for a Nuclear technology cluster with major research dollars in a growing industry.
The great thing about this industry is that it means big dollars for research and economic development in the “hot button” issues of energy and medical (isotopes are so hot right now).
Here’s the story from the Office of Sci&Tech, without puns:
Areva Chooses Idaho
(Idaho Falls) For the second straight month, Areva leads Idaho innovation news, as the French energy company announced on May 5th that it had selected Idaho Falls as the site for a proposed $2 billion uranium enrichment facility. U.S. Senator Larry Craig and Idaho State Senator Bart Davis were on hand at the press conference as Areva CEO and President Michael McMurphy announced the Idaho selection.
The proposed enrichment plant, slated to open in 2014, will specialize in the 4th phase of the 5-phase uranium enrichment process. Uranium hexafluoride, a granular solid at room temperature, will be input to the plant and warmed to create uranium hexafluoride gas. The gas will be processed through a cascade of centrifuges where the heavier and lighter uranium isotopes are separated, resulting in enriched uranium. After cooling, the uranium hexafluoride returns to its granular state and will be exported to a reactor fuel fabrication plant in another state, ultimately finding its way to a commercial power reactor supplying electricity to the national grid.
Areva officials predict that the facility will create 500 to 1,000construction jobs over a five year period, and finally result in 250 permanent positions paying annual salaries averaging $80,000.
Technorati Tags: INL, Nuclear Energy, Areva, Idaho Falls,
We, at the Snake River Alliance are all for technological innovation. Our focus has been on bolstering and promoting the technologies surrounding truly renewable energy resources like wind and geothermal. While nuclear power is holding a sector of the energy market, it is a dirty and dangerous business. The waste produced by this plant will be stored in Idaho for decades until deconversion facilities (yet to be constructed) have the capacity to deal with commercial waste. 750,000 barrels of waste currently sit above the Snake River aquifer from nuclear testing in the 50’s and 60’s. Shouldn’t this waste be cleaned up before we agree to house more? It is essential that tech minded folks recognize and put some support behind renewable technology. While the industry doesn’t have the momentum and subsidies that the nuclear industry does, our greatest potential lies in this area. The nuclear industry is not looking for developing a diverse energy portfolio–they want to be the only producer of energy–the only technology for energy production. Check out our site for more information on renewables and the dangers of welcoming nuclear developments into Idaho.