KPLC 7 News, Lake Charles, Louisiana |World class nuclear module facility coming to LC port

World class nuclear module facility coming to LC port

This is the big one and Southwest Louisiana has landed it. What state officials say may be the largest economic development in Louisiana history. That's including an agreement to keep company headquarters in Baton Rouge. It's a joint venture between Shaw Group and Westinghouse. Global Modular Solutions is to make modules for new nuclear power plants.

With the high cost of oil and energy security issues, nuclear power is expected to play an increasingly vital role in meeting our energy needs. And the huge new economic development is expected to put Southwest Louisiana in a position to meet the need. Louisiana Secretary of Economic Development Stephen Moret says it may be the biggest economic development in the state's history.  "We're pretty sure that considering the whole project, including the retention and growth of headquarters, and the project here, nearly 3000 jobs, we're fairly certain it's the largest project announcement in the history of the State of Louisiana. But our records don't go back too far so I'm not sure how big Exxon and Dow were when they first started. But certainly this is one of the top five all time announcements in the state and we believe that it's the number one, all time announcement."

Community, business and elected officials from throughout Southwest Louisiana gathered as Governor Bobby Jindal made the historic announcement.  "The investment that the Shaw Group has made, the partnership with Westinghouse, they have formed a joint venture. They have selected the Port of Lake Charles for the location for a new nuclear modular components manufacturing facility, the first of its kind in the United States, not only breaking ground on a brand new facility for Louisiana, it's a brand new facility for America. This $100 million dollar facility will create one thousand four hundred new jobs with average salaries of $50,000 even before benefits. And he says it will make Louisiana a major leader in what they call a nuclear renaissance. We've got the opportunity to become a world leader in this very exciting, high growth, high paying economic development market."

Representatives of both companies were on hand.  Says Jim Bernhard, Shaw chairman, president and CEO, "It's a great day for the nuclear industry. We have numerous plants that we have contracts to build throughout the United States. We have numerous plants as far as China that we're building."

Brad Young, with Westinghouse told them, "The nuclear renaissance is here and it's real. It's a reality in the united states and it's a reality throughout the world." the 600,000 square foot module fabrication facility will be located on a 300 acre site at the Port of Lake Charles off Big Lake Road near Lincoln Road. The new facility is expected to be operational in the late summer of 2009.

Bernhard says for this area to be selected for the project says a lot about the labor force and productivity. "What's interesting about this module facility is that regardless of where the plant's being built in the United States and sometimes throughout the world, that about a third of these nuclear power plants will be built here in Lake Charles. It's a module concept that the assembly process will be done at the final location but the modulization could have been done anywhere. Could've been done in Mexico. Could've been done anywhere in the world."

The 600,000 square foot facility will be located on 300 acres of port property in the area of Big Lake and Lincoln Road. Besides a state incentive package of about $32 million dollars, close to $20 million comes from local government.  Explains Moret, "there's a million dollar grant from the City of Lake Charles that will be matched with a one million dollar grant for infrastructure also from the Calcasieu police jury and the port is providing $500,000 for bulkhead improvements. They're also providing a number of different inducements in the way they've structured the lease and a property tax exemption."

It's estimated that Louisiana will receive about $480 million dollars in additional tax revenues from the project.

Officials say no radioactive parts or materials will be handled at the facility.

Employment opportunities are available by visiting Shaw's web site.

As well an employment office is to open at the Port of Lake Charles within 90 days.