GE Hitatchi (GEH) moved forward with two international agreements this week, signing memorandum of understanding letters with Bruce Power in Canada and the Vietnam Atomic Energy Agency (VAEA).
In Canada, GEH Energy Canada has entered into an agreement that will see the two companies explore new areas of collaboration focused on developing performance enhancements at the world's largest nuclear power facility, the Bruce Power Generating Station on the shores of Lake Huron
The facility is comprised of eight CANDU nuclear reactors with a total output of 6,272 MW. Full time employment at the station is roughly 3,800 workers.
GEH-Canada has facilities in Peterborough, Toronto and Arnprior, which employ 350 workers.
The two companies have a long history of delivering positive results through collaboration and innovation, including the development of the ground breaking Bruce Reactor Inspection and Maintenance System (BRIMS), GEH said in a press statement. The BRIMS automated tooling system was the result of a multi-company collaboration involving Bruce Power, GEH-C, ATS Automation, MacDonald, Dettwiler and Associates Ltd., BWXT Canada Ltd. and Candu Energy Inc. a member of the SNC-Lavalin Group.
In Hanoi, Vietnam, GE Hitatchi Nuclear Energy signed a Memorandum of Understanding with VAEA that calls for cooperation to promote training and development of human resources associated with the country's civilian nuclear power program.
"As Vietnam looks to low-carbon nuclear power to meet its burgeoning energy needs, we will continue to support the building of the nation's nuclear power infrastructure," said GEH Senior Vice President David Sledzik, who was present at the signing along with Nguyen Thi Thu Trang, VAEA Deputy Director General.
The agreement is the fourth GEH has signed with Vietnam in recent months. n February GEH signed an agreement with Vietnam Agency for Radiation and Nuclear Safety (VARANS) to promote the human resources training and development in the field of nuclear safety analysis.
In the fall of 2014, MOUs were signed with Hanoi University of Science and Technology and Electric Power University to cooperate in the field of nuclear engineering and technology. Twelve students from the two universities recently completed internships at GEH's world headquarters in Wilmington, N.C.
"Introducing these students to the nuclear industry and providing them with learning opportunities has been a rewarding experience for us," GEH Chief Operations Officer Jay Wileman said. "We look forward to them taking on integral roles in developing Vietnam's nuclear industry and we trust that their time with us will help contribute to their future successes."