At ICEM in Liverpool, in October of this year, together with Gravatom, ONET TECHNOLOGIES will be able to present the range of comprehensive and cutting-edge services that the group is positioned to offer in Britain — a market with considerable potential from the point of view of nuclear technology, and for years to come. ONET TECHNOLOGIES’ proven expertise in the dismantling and decommissioning of nuclear plants fits the needs of the British market at this juncture, and more so than ever.
With the acquisition of Gravatom, ONET TECHNOLOGIES now has a British subsidiary that is well-established in its domestic market and widely recognised by local players in the non-defence nuclear industry (including applications in the manufacturing, medical and pharmaceuticals industries). For ONET TECHNOLOGIES, it was vital to be physically present in Britain in order to start developing the company’s activities in the country.

In line with the strategy defined by the French company’s president, Dominique Mouillot, the acquisition of Gravatom Engineering Services Ltd by ONET was finalised in December 2008. Pierre Bertet was appointed head of Gravatom, as a division of ONET in Britain. Pierre Bertet is now assisted by Richard Creed, Deputy Managing Director at Gravatom, who was recruited in view of his proven track record in the nuclear-energy industry in the UK.

Gravatom's activities in nuclear engineering and the manufacturing of equipment for the nuclear industry generate an annual turnover of £11 million. The company is headquartered in Bishop’s Waltham (near Southampton, in south-western England). Gravatom’s facilities consist of an R&D department and assembly workshops specializing in a range of areas relating to the nuclear industry — from mechanics, specialist machines and general installation to hydraulics, ventilation, electrical engineering and measuring instrumentation.

Gravatom also runs a site in Workington, near Sellafield (in Cumbria), which was, historically, at the heart of the existing activities of ONET TECHNOLOGIES UK, the British division of ONET TECHNOLOGIES. As a result, Gravatom’s activities represent a continuation of the skills of ONET TECHNOLOGIES in the field of equipment production.

ONET TECHNOLOGIES, however, does not intend to confine Gravatom to its home market: the group’s ambition is to accompany the development of Gravatom outside and beyond its domestic market. Gravatom, for instance, has taken part in bids for contracts involving the Commissariat à l’Energie Atomique (CEA) in France and the Institute of Radioélements (IRE) in Belgium. Gravatom is also an important supplier of IBA.

Gravatom enjoys extensive expertise and has an impressive client list. The company employs 120 staff in the engineering and manufacturing fields, divided into three main departments.

The Technical Department’s team includes 55 engineers, technicians and designers, whose areas of expertise encompass nuclear safety, risk analysis, process engineering, and nuclear measurement, among others.

The Project Department includes a dozen project managers and handles all of Gravatom’s activities. The Project Department is supported by the Technical Department.

The Manufacturing & Fabrication Department’s areas of expertise include the design and manufacture of fully equipped hot cells and glove boxes (including internal process, computer-integrated material handling, ventilation, control and automatic operations, telemanipulators, etc.), as well as the design, manufacture and qualification of Type B special containers for storing and transporting nuclear waste and material. Gerry Holden, who is currently chairman of the national committee for radioactive materials transport and packaging in the UK, is Gravatom’s expert in this field.
Gravatom can also offer services for the design and manufacture of special machines for RCD dismantling, as well as production operations for radio-pharmacy.

About Gravatom

Gravatom has worked for the nuclear industry for over 30 years, with projects that have involved upstream and downstream nuclear cycle plants; nuclear reactors, as well as defence-related facilities; and, also, facilities belonging to the medical or pharmaceuticals industries. Gravatom’s customer base is, therefore, diverse, and the company’s clients can be found both in the UK and in other parts of Europe.

For more information on Gravatom, go to: website.

About ICEM

ONET TECHNOLOGIES will be attending the ICEM congress in Liverpool, in the north-west of England, from 11 to 15 October 2009.
The 12th International Conference on Environmental Remediation and Radioactive Waste Management will be held in the Liverpool Arena and Conference Centre (ACC), which is situated in the Kings Dock area, on the River Mersey.

For more information on ICEM, go to: website.

About ONET TECHNOLOGIES

Building on its expertise and success in the nuclear-energy sector in France, ONET TECHNOLOGIES is now focusing on its international growth. Apart from strengthening its presence in the UK through the acquisition of Gravatom, ONET TECHNOLOGIES has been developing its operations and sales across Central & Eastern Europe.

For more information on ONET TECHNOLOGIES, go to: our website.

About ONET Group

ONET Group, which began life as Maison FORMAT in 1860, is built around two inseparable elements: people and know-how. ONET Group is today a key player in the corporate services sector. ONET Group has a turnover in excess of €1.3 billion. It has 55,000 staff across its 300 local agencies in Europe.
ONET Group is composed of four divisions: ONET CLEANING-MULTISERVICES, ONET TECHNOLOGIES, ONET SECURITY, and AXXIS RESOURCES.