Cover Story
dating back to the first generation of reactors and evolving steadily over the decades. While the company remains active across the broader nuclear industry, SMRs are now a major strategic focus, and Orion is working with several leading technology developers.“ Nuclear power is viewed as a critical pillar of future energy supply. As global demand for clean, reliable baseload power continues to grow, nuclear remains one of the most efficient large-scale decarbonised energy sources,” continues Mr Rossi.“ In particular, fourth-generation reactor concepts are highly attractive from an environmental perspective, as they are designed to use waste from second- and third-generation reactors as fuel. MOX( Mixed Oxide) technology converts spent nuclear fuel into a new form of reactor fuel, reducing the need for fresh uranium mining while simultaneously consuming existing radioactive waste. Countries such as France, which hold significant inventories of spent fuel, are investing heavily in MOX technology to establish a strategic, domestically sourced nuclear fuel cycle.”
Technical expertise and R & D
“ For over a decade, Orion has been active within the API as a member of the Committee on Refining Equipment, and in particular the Subcommittee on Piping and Valves,” explains Mr Rossi.“ We meet twice a year in the United States to review and update downstream and upstream API specifications. Only a limited number of manufacturers are invited to participate in these committees, and our involvement reflects the depth of in-house expertise that is recognised by the wider valve industry.“ Our R & D department, based in Italy, works closely with external research institutes and universities. In close proximity, we have
Elettra Sincrotrone Trieste, an international multidisciplinary research centre providing synchrotron and free-electron laser( FEL) radiation for advanced research in materials science and life sciences.”“ We collaborate with Elettra on the development and qualification of new materials, carrying out advanced
Each component of the massive valve was made with extreme care and precision.
Watch the award ceremony where Orion was presented with the Guinness World Record for manufacturing the world’ s largest valve.
“
The technical specification for this valve was exceptionally demanding” characterisation and testing of properties such as hardness, microstructure, and suitability for protective coatings.” This collaboration reflects Orion’ s ongoing mission to produce exceptionally high quality, innovative products for the most demanding severe service applications.
World-record wedge gate valve
The remarkable journey to produce the world’ s biggest wedge gate valve began with a request for quotation issued by Hyundai for a 114-inch wedge valve for the AMIRAL petrochemical complex currently under construction in Jubail, Saudi Arabia, by Saudi Aramco and TotalEnergies. While Orion had never previously manufactured a valve of this size, its long-standing relationship with Saudi Aramco and proven track record in severe-service applications led Hyundai to entrust Orion with the development, engineering, and qualification of the design. During the early feasibility phase, Orion confirmed that no valve of this size had ever been manufactured. The Guinness World Records organisation verified that the existing record stood at 108 inches. On successful completion, the 114-inch valve was formally recognised as the largest wedge gate valve ever produced.“ Producing and handling a component of this scale required extensive benchmarking and the development of new manufacturing and logistics processes. It remains the largest valve ever manufactured within the global valve industry,” says Mr Farina proudly.“ The technical specification for this valve was exceptionally demanding,” continues Mr Rossi.“ It is installed on a flare header and operates at very low pressure, which makes reliable metal-to-metal sealing critical. The valve weighs approximately
10 Valve World February 2026 www. valve-world. net