OREANDA-NEWS. June 29, 2016. Huntington Ingalls Industries (NYSE:HII) announced today that its Newport News Industrial (NNI) subsidiary will continue its partnership with Westinghouse Electric Company for domestic nuclear power plant construction and will become a supply partner for Westinghouse in support of global opportunities. As part of this continuing partnership, the companies have completed contract negotiations for NNI to fabricate structural modules for the shield buildings that encase the containment vessel for domestic AP1000 power plants under construction.

HII’s Newport News Industrial subsidiary fabricates heavy steel components for the commercial nuclear power industry, including these shield building panels for Plant Vogtle. Photo courtesy of Georgia Power

The structural module fabrication will take place in NNI’s Newport News facility, which will be expanded by 52,000 square feet to support current domestic and future global orders. HII announced the expansion on June 27, along with the creation of at least 120 new skilled trade jobs.

“NNI has been actively engaged in completing the shield building wall modules at AP1000 construction sites in Georgia and South Carolina,” said Pete Diakun, Newport News’ vice president, energy programs. “We appreciate that Westinghouse recognizes our progress, and we are committed to delivering value to the project timelines. As a division of Newport News Shipbuilding, we enjoy a 130-year American manufacturing legacy as a military shipbuilder. We find that our work as shipbuilders in support of our nation’s defense has translated well into building shields in support of our nation’s energy defense, and we look forward to continuing our work with Westinghouse.”

NNI provides fabrication, construction, equipment repair, technical services and innovative products to the energy and petrochemical industries as well as government customers.

“We are extremely pleased to have NNI and their long tradition of shield building and fabrication services as a global partner for Westinghouse’s AP1000 nuclear power plants,” said Jeff Benjamin, Westinghouse’s senior vice president, new plants and major projects. “Our relationship builds on our WECTEC acquisition and strengthens Westinghouse’s global supply chain to improve delivery certainty for our AP1000 customers.”

About Huntington Ingalls Industries

Huntington Ingalls Industries (HII) designs, builds and maintains nuclear and non-nuclear ships for the U.S. Navy and Coast Guard and provides after-market services for military ships around the globe. For more than a century, HII has built more ships in more ship classes than any other U.S. naval shipbuilder. Employing nearly 35,000 in Virginia, Mississippi, Louisiana and California, its primary business divisions are Newport News Shipbuilding and Ingalls Shipbuilding.