The Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) passed by the Biden administration, which offers a 30% tax credit for the creation of new nuclear plants, facilitates investment in the maintenance of existing facilities, as well as the extension of new modular reactors (SMR), key to the expansion of nuclear energy in the country.
Aware of the energy sector needs in general and the nuclear sector in particular, Sarens USA has opened a new branch in Florida, to offer an almost immediate response to any customer requiring crane rentals, heavy lifting, transportation and engineering support services in the region.
Nuclear energy will continue to play a strategic role in maintaining the US energy grid, maintaining its contribution of 19% of the energy produced in the country in 2024, according to data from the latest Short-Term Energy Outlook published by the U.S. Energy Information Administration. In this way, nuclear energy will continue to consolidate its position as the third most important source, only behind combined cycle gas plants and renewable sources, which together account for more than 60% of the total.
In a context in which the country's energy demand will continue to increase in 2024 at a contained rate of 1%, Sarens, a world leader in heavy lifting, engineered transport and crane rental, recalls the importance of continuing to invest in the creation of new nuclear power plants in the country, as well as in the maintenance, renovation and upgrading of existing plants, whose useful life, already close to 40 years, will require almost immediate intervention to ensure their energy production.
Over the past few years, only reactor 3 of the Vogtle power plant in Georgia has been commissioned, while the fourth reactor will come on stream in the first quarter of 2024. Equipped with advanced pressurized water Westinghouse AP1000 units, this power plant will become the largest in the USA, providing CO2-free power to approximately one million homes and businesses.
As part of the push for clean energy, in 2022 the Biden Administration passed the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), which, among other things, will involve granting 30% tax credits for the creation of new nuclear power plants in the country, as well as $15 credits per MW/h produced for the renovation of existing facilities, so that it will be possible to extend their lifespan to 80 years. To this must be added the extension of the new modular reactors (SMRs) which, by making their implementation cheaper and facilitating their deployment in smaller and less accessible environments, will give a significant boost to this type of energy generation. In fact, according to forecasts by the Nuclear Energy Institute, around 300 new SMRs will be built in the USA over the next 25 years.
As a way of reaffirming its commitment to the development of nuclear energy in the country, Sarens has USA has opened a new 4-acre depot in Florida, from which it will provide support, among others, to the Sarens Nuclear industrial Services division, which collaborates directly with, among others, Florida Power and Light.
The new Sarens USA branch in Florida, one out of five in the USA, will also serve, from January 2024, to offer crane rental, specialty rigging and engineered transport services to some strategic sectors, including Water and Wastewaters, Commercial, Municipalities, Construction, EPC's, Transmission & Distribution including Overhead Transmission, Storm Hardening, & Underground Construction, Transformers & Substations, Switchgear, Nuclear,Coop's, Pulp & Paper, Distribución Engineering as well as Nuclear Plants through the subsidiary Sarens Nuclear Industrial Services, throughout the Southeast region of the country.
At this new site, Sarens will have a complete fleet of cranes, including Grove TMS9002 and Liebherr LTM1100 AT units, which will grow with the acquisition of four new cranes during 2024.
According to Michael Jackson, Regional Manager - Southeast Region at Sarens, "We are fully aware of the need to provide our customers with a quick response to whatever their needs may be in any sector. For this reason, having a new branch in Florida will enable us to offer our services and a complete fleet of cranes to all kind of companies in the southeast of our country, with the confidence that, thanks to our collaboration, they will be able to satisfy the development of their projects and, at the same time, reduce their costs by applying the experience we have acquired in all types of projects all over the world over the last 60 years”.
Sarens has established itself over the last few years as a strategic partner for nuclear development in the USA. As part of this commitment, at the end of 2020 the company signed a collaboration and investment agreement with NuScale, one of the most important companies in the development of new SMRs, which is leading the development of projects such as the Carbon Free Power Project, to collaborate in their transport and installation. In addition, Sarens has also recently collaborated in the renovation of four of the steam generators at the Watts Bar plant in Spring City (Tennessee), and had previously carried out similar tasks at the Prairie Island Nuclear Generating Plant in Red Wing, Minnesota, among other important projects.
About Sarens
Sarens is the global leader and reference in crane rental, heavy lift and engineered transportation services. With state-of-the-art equipment, value engineering, one of the world's largest inventories of cranes, transporters and special rigging equipment, Sarens offers creative and intelligent solutions to today's heavy lifting and engineering transport challenges.
With more than 100 entities in 65 countries operating without borders, Sarens is an ideal partner for small to large-scale projects. Sarens currently employs 4,543 highly qualified professionals who are ready to serve the needs of any client worldwide and in all market sectors. https://www.sarens.com/