AREVA's technologies received four awards through its customers at the Top Industry Practice Awards (TIP Awards) ceremony organized by the American Nuclear Energy Institute (NEI).

For the fifth consecutive year, AREVA has been awarded the B. Ralph Sylvia "Best of the Best" award through utility customer, Dominion, for the lifetime extension project of the Surry Power Station, Virginia.

Thanks to the successful use of a first-of-a-kind examination process with automated tooling developed by AREVA, plant personnel were able to remotely perform inspections of difficult to access areas through the narrow gaps of the reactor vessel internals, reducing radiation exposure while providing significant cost savings. Dominion also received the "Equipment Reliability Process" award for the same project.

Two other utilities using AREVA technologies received an award at the ceremony:

+ Arizona Public Service Company (APS) was awarded the "Maintenance Process" award for the reactor vessel bottom mounted instrument (BMI) nozzle repair at Palo Verde Power Station, Arizona. For this repair successfully accomplished in 12 days, AREVA developed specific equipment and trained staff on a site specific mock-up.

+ The "AREVA Vendor" award was presented to American Electric Power for an unprecedented replacement of clevis bolts located on the lower radial support system of the reactor vessel at DC Cook Unit 1, Michigan. AREVA engineers designed a unique tooling system to remotely perform the work. Lessons learned taken from this project will improve the efficiency of future bolt and reactor vessel internals replacements.

"We are proud that AREVA received these awards which recognize the technological innovation and expertise of the group. Our objective is to rapidly respond to our customer complex needs with an unrelenting commitment to operational excellence," said Mike Rencheck, President and CEO of AREVA in the United States.

Since 1993, the TIP awards annually recognize utilities and technologies through 14 categories: four vendor awards received by utilities in recognition of the implementation of the vendor's innovative products or solutions, nine process awards for innovation to improve safety, efficiency and nuclear plant performance, a Vision and Leadership Award, and the B. Ralph Sylvia "Best of the Best" Award.