This December, Westinghouse Electric Company’s subsidiary PaR Nuclear donated two 30t industrial cranes and training equipment to train engineering students at the University of North Carolina’s Energy Production and Infrastructure Center (EPIC) in Charlotte.

The equipment, valued at $3m, will be used to prepare students work in various fields, including design of cranes and other lifting equipment for the nuclear industry.

The Charlotte campus and William States Lee College of Engineering have created the Energy Production and Infrastructure Center (EPIC) as a joint industry/education partnership to produce an energy engineering workforce, and engage in technology research.

While providing equipment to be used in hands-on training, Westinghouse will be funding training courses related to nuclear industry equipment, including crane design and fuel-handling equipment design.

The company will offer a welding course for which students will have use of the Westinghouse Rock Hill welding test shop.

To round out students’ knowledge of nuclear industry the electric company will also provide training courses related to nuclear instrumentation and control.

“This kind of support is critical to the success of this program, which we foresee as a model for business and education cooperation in the energy sphere,” said the University’s charlotte chancellor Philip Dubois.

“EPIC will match the needs of energy companies with graduates who have the comprehensive skill sets needed to compete in the 21st century,” he said.

Jimmy Morgan, Westinghouse’s vice president of Installation and Modification Services and EPIC board member, said, “Good education in the nuclear industry requires access to high-capital-value activities, and it requires access to experienced engineers who are ready to transfer their skills. By providing equipment and training services to EPIC, we are making a contribution to the future of the global energy industry.”

The University formed EPIC in response to the need from industry to supply highly trained engineers qualified to meet the demands of the energy industry.

“Westinghouse recognizes that industry needs to be a partner not just in the funding of higher education, but in the design of educational programming to meet the evolving needs the energy industry,” said Nick Liparulo, vice president of Westinghouse Nuclear Services.

Johan Enslin, director of EPIC and the Duke Energy Distinguished Chair in Power Engineering Systems, said, “Contributions like this enable us to supply graduates who understand the industry and the associated work.”

Westinghouse has already brought the training equipment to the University campus and the related courses are scheduled to begin in the fall of 2012.

Westinghouse’s industrial crane donation to aid nuclear crane design