Areva donations help establish simulator
Areva said that it is donating software and intellectual property, coupled with a $935,641 grant from the Virginia Tobacco Commission, to establish a simulator in the Center for Advanced Engineering & Research CAER facility in Bedford County.
“This is just another example of Areva investing in the future and building safety infrastructure for the next generation of nuclear power plants,” Mike Rencheck, COO for Areva Inc., said in a statement.
The mock-up control room will reside in CAERÂ’s human factors engineering laboratory, a room 22 feet high with 2,600 square feet of space. It will allow industry experts to conduct human factors engineering tests. This specialized field of engineering, known as ergonomics, assists in product design and improves safety and reliability.
“A research facility like this one is unique and will be another step in making this region a nuclear energy hub for Virginia and the U S.,” said Kathy Byron, a member of the Virginia Tobacco Commission.
Areva has attained the first license from the Nuclear Regulatory Commission for a digital instrumentation and control system in existing operating plants. Areva worked in collaboration with the CAER, the University of Virginia and Virginia Tech to establish the digital control simulator in Bedford.
Related News

What can we expect from clean hydrogen in Canada
TORONTO - As the world races to find effective climate solutions, hydrogen is earning buzz as a potentially low-emitting alternative fuel source.
The promise of hydrogen as a clean fuel source is nothing new — as far back as the 1970s hydrogen was being promised as a "potential pollution-free fuel for our cars."
While hydrogen hasn't yet taken off as the fuel of the future — a 2023 report from McKinsey & Company and the Hydrogen Council estimates that there is a grand total of eight hydrogen vehicle fuelling stations in Canada — many still hope that will change.
The hope is hydrogen…