ONET-Gravatom at ICEM

ONET-Gravatom at ICEM - 12/10/2009

ONET-Gravatom to present nuclear-sector expertise at ICEM ONET TECHNOLOGIES will be attending the ICEM congress in Liverpool (UK) from 11 to 15 October 2009 in order to showcase its expertise in the dismantling and decommissioning of existing nuclear-energy installations. Since the acquisition of Gravatom of the UK at the end of 2008, ONET has been actively pursuing its international development with a focus, more specifically, on the British market. At ICEM in Liverpool, in October of this year, together with Gravatom, ONET TECHNOLOGIES will be able to present the range of comprehensive and cutting-edge services that the group is positioned to offer in Britain — a market with considerable potential from the point of view of nuclear technology, and for years to come. ONET TECHNOLOGIES’ proven expertise in the dismantling and decommissioning of nuclear plants fits the needs of the British market at this juncture, and more so than ever. With the acquisition of Gravatom, ONET TECHNOLOGIES now has a British subsidiary that is well-established in its domestic market and widely recognised by local players in the non-defence nuclear industry (including applications in the manufacturing, medical and pharmaceuticals industries). For ONET TECHNOLOGIES, it was vital to be physically present in Britain in order to start developing the company’s activities in the country. In line with the strategy defined by the French company’s president, Dominique Mouillot, the acquisition of Gravatom Engineering Services Ltd by ONET was finalised in December 2008. Pierre Bertet was appointed head of Gravatom, as a division of ONET TECHNOLOGIES in Britain. Pierre Bertet is now assisted by Richard Creed, Deputy Managing Director at Gravatom, who was recruited in view of his proven track record in the nuclear-energy industry in the UK. Gravatom's activities in nuclear engineering and the manufacturing of equipment for the nuclear industry generate an annual turnover of £11 million. The company is headquartered in Bishop’s Waltham (near Southampton, in south-western England). Gravatom’s facilities consist of an R&D department and assembly workshops specializing in a range of areas relating to the nuclear industry — from mechanics, specialist machines and general installation to hydraulics, ventilation, electrical engineering and measuring instrumentation. Gravatom also runs a site in Workington, near Sellafield (in Cumbria), which was, historically, at the heart of the existing activities of ONET TECHNOLOGIES UK, the British division of ONET TECHNOLOGIES. As a result, Gravatom’s activities represent a continuation of the skills of ONET TECHNOLOGIES in the field of equipment production. ONET TECHNOLOGIES, however, does not intend to confine Gravatom to its home market: the group’s ambition is to accompany the development of Gravatom outside and beyond its domestic market, by positioning the British company, both inside and outside France. Gravatom, for instance, has taken part in bids for contracts in France involving the Commissariat à l’Energie Atomique (CEA) and in Belgium for the Institute of Radioélements (IRE). Gravatom is also an important supplier of IBA. Gravatom enjoys extensive expertise and has an impressive client list. The company employs 120 staff in the engineering and manufacturing fields, divided into three main departments. The Technical Department’s team includes 55 engineers, technicians and designers, whose areas of expertise encompass nuclear safety, risk analysis, process engineering, and nuclear measurement, among others. The Project Department includes a dozen project managers and handles all of Gravatom’s activities. The project department is supported by the technical department. The Manufacturing & Fabrication Department areas of expertise include the design and manufacture of fully equipped hot cells and glove boxes (including internal process, computer-integrated material handling, ventilation, control and automatic operations, telemanipulators, etc.), as well as the design, manufacture and qualification of Type B special containers for storing and transporting nuclear waste and material. Gerry Holden, who is currently chairman of the national committee for radioactive materials transport and packaging in the UK, is Gravatom’s expert in this field. Gravatom can also offer services for the design and manufacture of special machines for RCD dismantling, as well as production operations for radio-pharmacy.