Enercon Services, Inc.

Energy independence┬áEnercon Services uses its integrated approach to help utilities navigate the process of pursuing new nuclear power plant licensing, design, construction and energy generation, Linda Seid Frembes learns. Recent spikes in the price of crude oil and subsequent hikes in gas prices have focused the nationÔÇÖs attention on alternative energy sources like nuclear power. The recent presidential election has also placed renewed emphasis on nuclear, with both candidates including new nuclear power plants as part of their strategic plans for energy independence.   ÔÇ£The revived interest in nuclear power was started when Congress passed the Energy Policy Act of 2005 that created the movement to nuclear power via tax credits and loan guarantees,ÔÇØ says Bob Evans, vice president of new plant services for Enercon Services, Inc., a services company headquartered in Tulsa, Oklahoma.Enercon currently works with approximately 70 percent of the 104 existing operating nuclear power plants in the US providing engineering and operations support, as well as working with utilities who are interested in adding nuclear power plants to their portfolio. According to Evans, nuclear power represents about 20 percent of all electricity generation in the country, far behind other countries such as France, which uses nuclear power for approximately 80 percent of its electricity needs. ÔÇ£The biggest challenge at the moment is resources. The US has not emphasized science and engineering in the education system,ÔÇØ says Evans, who works with clients to plan for the deployment of new nuclear power plants in the US. ÔÇ£The nuclear power community is facing more retirements in the near future and a growing need for skilled labor, such as scientists, engineers and skilled construction workers. We are responding with an aggressive recruiting campaign and visits to college campuses.ÔÇØThe oncoming labor strains come at a time when there is a surge of support for nuclear power. In a recent survey of 1,000 Americans conducted by Bisconti Research, 74 percent of respondents favor nuclear energy, and 69 percent believe it will be necessary to build new plants. ÔÇ£This is a big change since the last poll was taken in April 2008. This may mean that clients are more willing to pursue nuclear power as an option,ÔÇØ explains Evans, who helps clients determine costs, draw up plans, assess risks, and develop strategies necessary to move forward with a new power plant project.In addition to new plants, 70 percent of currently operating nuclear plants are under a preferred supply agreement with Enercon. Evans notes that existing plants have to deal with constantly shifting safety modifications, which is why an experienced firm like Enercon is fit for the job. ÔÇ£Over the last three to four years, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission [NRC] required all pressurized water reactors to have equipment replaced so that the emergency core cooling systems work properly during an emergency,ÔÇØ he says. ÔÇ£Our firm has helped 50 percent of these types of reactors evaluate the issue and replace the equipment to ensure safety and comply with requirements. We were familiar because boiling water reactors previously had the same problem. There are patents pending on some of the equipment we designed to solve the issue.ÔÇØEnercon is also a leader in the US in dealing with the storage of spent nuclear fuel in dry casks on-site. ÔÇ£Spent fuel in a nuclear power plant needs to be replaced every 12 to 24 months. The original plan was that the Department of Energy central facility at Yucca Mountain would hold all the spent nuclear fuel,ÔÇØ says Evans. ÔÇ£Existing plants are storing spent fuel on site for longer periods of time as a result of ongoing controversies over the central facility.ÔÇØMuch of the expertise in working with existing plants on operations and safety compliance also helps with the application process for new nuclear power plants. According to the company, its core strengths of engineering, licensing and environmental engineering are fully integrated in preparing Early Site Permits (ESPs) or Combined Operating License (COL) applications. The firm recently developed four COL applications that have been submitted to the NRC for approval.According to recent announcements, the NuStart COL application to build a General Electric ESBWR (Economic Simplified Boiling Water Reactor) plant at the Grand Gulf site near Port Gibson, Mississippi, was accepted for docket by the NRC on April 17, 2008. The Duke Power COL application to construct and operate a two-unit Westinghouse AP1000 nuclear power plant at the William States Lee III site in Cherokee County, South Carolina, was accepted for docket by the NRC on February 25, 2008. Previously, the NuStart COL application to construct and operate a two-unit Westinghouse AP1000 plant at the Bellefonte site in Jackson County, Alabama, was accepted for docket by the NRC on January 18, 2008.ÔÇ£The application process is one of the first steps that utilities take to construct a power plant,ÔÇØ says Evans. He notes that it takes approximately 18 to 20 months to prepare the application, and 38 to 46 months for the NRC to review the application, including up to 12 months for a public hearing. In addition, it requires four to five years for construction time. In total, the process totals approximately 10 years before power transmission from a new nuclear plant. ÔÇ£ItÔÇÖs important for the US to get into nuclear power right now to have an impact by 2015,ÔÇØ says Evans, who adds that EnerconÔÇÖs experience in finding viable sites and developing strategic options to match standardized plants with specific sites makes them a strong contender in the marketplace. ÔÇ£We have experience in supporting existing plants. We got our start in 1983 helping plants transition from construction to operation. After 25 years of supporting operating plants, we are one of the only major surviving services firms from that era.ÔÇØEvans adds that the future is bright for his firm and for nuclear power. ÔÇ£All plants are licensed for 40 years of initial life, and most are applying for an additional 20-year license renewal, so additional services are needed. In addition, the construction of new plants requires front-end planning and design work,ÔÇØ he says.The firm also has a full-service environmental consulting business, which was started in the late 1980s to diversify its portfolio, and it currently represents 20 percent of the total business. ÔÇ£ItÔÇÖs focused not only on the utility sector but also government, oil and gas, and financial services. The environmental division is now helping on the COL applications with environmental impact studies,ÔÇØ says Evans.Earlier this year, Enercon opened its 15th office in Chicago and its 16th office in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, to provide engineering and construction services to power plants in the Midwest and the South.