Did you know that several hundred SSMRC millwrights are staffing 15 outages these last couple of months at nuclear plants throughout the Southern 11 states?

The United States has 60 licensed nuclear power plants with 100 nuclear reactors and turbine generator sets, which provides electricity for 20 percent of all Americans. To keep the power on, facility owners schedule planned outages twice a year to clean, repair and maintain the equipment. This includes not only the turbines, but also valves, pumps, generators, exciters and other associated equipment needed to keep the plant running and producing power efficiently and safely.

Almost half of the USA’s nuclear plants are in the southern 11 states – the same area serviced by the Southern States Millwright Regional Council. Our millwrights play a key role in an outage because they have niche skill-set to work with nuclear reactor-powered turbines and generators quickly, accurately, and safely. They are trained, tested and credentialed to meet the technical and safety requirements for nuclear plant outages. And they know how to get the work done safely, accurately and on schedule.

Some plants produce up to a half-million dollars a day in electricity. It’s critical that SSMRC Millwrights and employers work diligently to keep on schedule of a planned outage.

Just a few outages serviced by SSMRC Millwrights include: Arkansas Nuclear One, Port St. Lucie, STP, Farley, Sequoyah and Browns Ferry. Sample clients include: Duke Energy, Southern Company, South Carolina Electric and Gas, Florida Power and Light, Tennessee Valley Authority, Entergy, Luminant, and STP Nuclear Operating Company.

The Role Training Plays in an Outage

As trends emerge and standards evolve in the nuclear industry, training programs are developed and presented, so that our millwrights continue to meet the challenges encountered on the job site. The SSMRC partners with customers to provide exactly what they need for their project. These partnerships help assist in our training efforts by providing equipment, guest instructors and expert consultation. Of course, the top priority for every project is safety. We believe a safe work site is achieved through comprehensive training. 

First Season for SSMRC Nuclear Industry Office Going Well

To meet the extreme demand for skilled millwrights for nuclear outages across the Southern USA, the SSMRC established a Nuclear Industry office in Arlington, Texas. SSMRC’s Nuclear Office streamlines the process of getting qualified manpower for outages by creating one point of contact for owners, employers and millwrights. Tapped to lead the SSMRC Nuclear Office is long-time Council leader David Bonds, a 40+ year industry veteran who’s worked in nuclear plants from Virginia to Texas.

“David’s knowledge of the industry and his ability to provide experienced, qualified and motivated millwrights is an integral part of Siemens Generation Services’ success as an industry leader in nuclear power plant turbine generator maintenance,” said Anna Rademakers, SGS Nuclear Field Service and Payroll Department Manager.

“Having one point of contact for staffing our southern nuclear outages is a great benefit to Atlantic Plant Maintenance. The streamlined process the SSMRC has in place for gathering resources is seamless, and David is a great fit for the program,” said Marc Campo, APM General Manager.

Contact David L. Bonds, SSMRC Nuclear Representative at dbonds@ssmrc4070.org or 682-323-4904