In 2013, Veolia signed a collaboration agreement with the French Alternative Energies and Atomic Energy Commission (CEA) and formed Asteralis, a subsidiary specializing in characterizing waste and assessing nuclear facilities.
Today, the Group is pursuing its ambition in the nuclear field by acquiring Kurion, the Californian start-specializing in clean nuclear technologies, which helped stabilize the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant.
Veolia already has unique expertise in the management of sensitive sites through its specialist subsidiaries Asteralis, Veolia Water Technologies, SARP Industries and GRS Valtech. With the addition of Kurion’s expertise and technology, the Group is rounding out its portfolio of services to the nuclear industry and is now developing an industrial sector covering both nuclear facility cleanup and the treatment of low and medium-level radioactive waste.
Kurion was founded in 2008 and is based in Irvine, California. It offers solutions in nuclear waste cleanup and facility decommissioning, as well as treatment of low-level radioactive waste. Kurion’s activities fall into three areas of expertise: separation, stabilization, and robotics for access to restricted areas. Kurion has operations in the United States (California, Washington, Colorado, Idaho and Texas), the United Kingdom and Japan. It is the only international operator to be working at Fukushima on behalf of Tepco, the Japanese nuclear operator. The company has experienced strong growth since it was founded and now employs over 200 people. Kurion is included on the Cleantech Group’s Global Cleantech 100 in 2015, which lists the 100 companies in the world, that are the best positioned and the most innovative in terms of “clean” technologies”.
