The Shaw Group Inc. (NYSE: SGR) today announced Shaw AREVA MOX Services,
LLC (MOX Services) and the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) have signed
a letter of intent to enter into contract negotiations for the
procurement of Mixed Oxide fuel (MOX). MOX fuel is manufactured from
surplus weapon-grade plutonium and can be used as a low-cost alternative
to power nuclear reactors. MOX Services is a joint venture between
Shaw's Environmental & Infrastructure Group and AREVA.
The TVA is evaluating the use of MOX fuel as an alternative in its
Sequoyah Nuclear Plant Units 1 and 2 and Browns Ferry Nuclear Plant
Units 1, 2 and 3; it also may evaluate use of the fuel in its future
nuclear generation projects. MOX Services will continue to collaborate
with the TVA in its evaluation process.
MOX Services is under contract with the National Nuclear Security
Administration to complete construction of the Mixed Oxide Fuel
Fabrication Facility at the Savannah River Site located in Aiken, S.C.
MOX Services is responsible for design, license and full construction of
the main facility and all support facilities, cold startup of the MOX
facility and continued support of Nuclear Regulatory Commission
licensing activities associated with the MOX facility. Operations at the
facility will include removing impurities from surplus weapon-grade
plutonium and combining with uranium oxide, forming MOX fuel pellets for
use in commercial nuclear power reactors by 2016.
“The MOX project and use of MOX fuel is an important step toward turning
34 metric tons of the nation's surplus plutonium stockpile—enough for
8,500 nuclear weapons—into useable, low-cost, carbon-free electricity,”
said George Bevan, president of Shaw’s Environmental & Infrastructure
Group. “MOX Services remains optimistic about these negotiations, and we
look forward to reaching an agreement by the summer of 2010.”
The Shaw Group Inc. is a leading global provider of technology,
engineering, procurement, construction, maintenance, fabrication,
manufacturing, consulting, remediation and facilities management
services for government and private sector clients in the energy,
chemicals, environmental, infrastructure and emergency response markets.
A Fortune 500 company with fiscal year 2008 annual revenues of $7
billion, Shaw is headquartered in Baton Rouge, La., and employs
approximately 26,000 people at its offices and operations in North
America, South America, Europe, the Middle East and the Asia-Pacific
region. Shaw is the power sector industry leader according to
Engineering News-Record's list of Top 500 Design Firms.
