Canada-based AtkinsRéalis (part of the SNC-Lavalin Group) has opened its new $20m AtkinsRéalis Technology Center (ATC) in Richland, Washington state. AtkinsRéalis said the ATC will be used to further develop “innovative nuclear and environmental cleanup technologies, engineering net zero (ENZ) and hydrogen clean energy advancements, digital solutions and robotics implementation”.
The ATC is adjacent to the existing AtkinsRéalis Engineering Laboratory (AEL) and the Washington State University Tri-Cities (WSUTC) Campus. Construction of the facility began in September 2022 and was completed in 15 months. The ATC features 16,000 square feet of open “hot desk” office space designed to foster teamwork and collaboration as well as traditional private offices. Two workshops and an additional 16,000 square feet of a 59-foot high-bay testing area with an overhead crane complete the testbed facility. AtkinsRéalis says this furthers its plans for a campus-like technology hub in the Pacific Northwest as part of the Company’s rapid growth across US markets.
“This beautiful space clearly demonstrates our commitment to continuing nearly 20 years of successful engineering and technology development alongside Washington State University, the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory and the Department of Energy here in the Tri-Cities Community,” said Jim Rugg, President, US Nuclear, AtkinsRéalis. “We look forward to seeing these partnerships flourish in this new space.”
A grand opening ceremony was held to mark the occasion. Guests participated in a “Tour of Technologies,” showcasing capabilities at the ATC including:
- Robotics in Nuclear – deploying robots for safer, faster, cheaper decommissioning and waste management operations.
- Spinionic – a patented process that can remove waste materials from aqueous solutions using a Rotating Bed Reactor.
- Barrnon Bladecutter & Integrated Decommissioning System – remotely cutting, collecting and storing radioactive sludge and other material.
- Digital – Adopting HoloLens augmented reality technologies to boost collaboration, document and evaluate field progress and safely upscale workers to handle complex and dangerous tasks.
- Pacific Northwest Hydrogen Hub – creating a low-carbon intensity and economically viable hydrogen production ecosystem to improve the region and meet national future clean energy goals.
AtkinsRéalis has maintained a local office in Richland since 2006. The Company constructed the AEL in 2011, then gifted the facility to WSUTC and leased the space back for nuclear clean up research and Large Scale Integrated Testing. Two newly commissioned melters, which heat and mix nuclear waste to create a safe glass form prior to permanent safe storage, are located at the Low-Activity Waste (LAW) facility within the nearby Hanford Waste Treatment Plant. The two melters, the largest nuclear industry melters in the world, have a life expectancy of approximately five years. AtkinsRéalis will continue to use the AEL to assemble and store replacement melters prior to transporting and installing them at the LAW facility through a contract in support of the US Department of Energy.
“As a company, we are constantly researching and refining impactful new approaches across the entire end-to-end lifecycle of an asset,” said Joe St Julian, President, Nuclear, AtkinsRéalis. “From developing clean nuclear energy solutions, to pioneering safer ways of disposing legacy waste material, having access to a world-class facility like this enhances our team and partners’ ability to innovate, collaborate and lay the groundwork that will enable us to engineer a better future for our planet and its people.”
Image: AtkinsRéalis' new $20 million facility in Richland, Washington (courtesy of AtkinsRe´alis)
