Xilare Integrated Atomics
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Overview
Xilare Integrated Atomics (VCSE:XA) is one of the largest private power generation firms in the world. It has 322,000 employees at its various facilities across Vetalia, with some 21,000 employed at the world headquarters in Xilare. In 2033, the company made руЯ339.3 billion in revenues and a net profit of руЯ92.33 billion, giving it the distinction of earning the largest single profit in Vetalian history in both nominal and real terms. Much of this was ultimately returned to shareholders in the form of a large руЯ5.00 per share dividend, which helped drive up the company's share price even above its already high level.
The company has three major divisions; Xilare Atomics is the company's nuclear arm, Central Power is the utility division, and Thermodyne Machinery is the heavy manufacturing sector of the company. In addition, there are several smaller research sectors, a finance arm (XA Financial Services), and a major military operation entitled the Petrovsk Advanced Propulsions Laboratory(after the city of the same name).
History
Xilare Integrated Atomics was originally founded in 1932 as a public utility entitled Nova Gas & Electric, which operated the majority of electrical power stations and transmission lines in East Vetalia. It gradually broadened its scope of industries, creating its research and development sector in 1943 to develop more advanced sources of power generation and transmission. The company remained neutral during the Revolution, negotiating agreements with both sides to ensure its flow of power to customers was not interrupted or harassed by insurgents on either side. To this end, the company also created its own security force, armed with military weapons and training to keep its facilities safe. This militia, nicknamed the "Thunderhawks", would remain active until the early 1960's, when the last pockets of Imperial loyalists were defeated. Although the company had technically been owned by the Empire, ownership legally passed from the Empire to the Republic in the aftermath of the Revolution when all assets under the control of the Empire were transferred to Republic control. It would remain a state owned entity until 1968, when it was gradually divested from state control over the next decade.
1959 was a watershed year in the history of the company, when it tested the first successful nuclear power plant outside of Xilare and ushered in the age of atomic power. Over the next two decades, the company would construct 250 power stations generating over 1GW of electricity for East Vetalia, and would be the main operator of nuclear storage and reprocessing facilities in the country. By law, however, the company was forced to divest its transmission lines to other companies to ensure a free market in the electricity sector. This motivated the company to focus on research and development in power generation, which led to a number of advances in the nuclear power industry during the 1960's and 1970's. However, a backlash against nuclear power in the 1980's would lead to deceleration in demand for new nuclear power facilities, but given the company's already sizable infrastructure the new capacity was not necessary to maintain profit growth. It bought up many nuclear power companies and their assets, and adopted the name Xilare Nuclear Energy in 1986 following its merger with Xilare Nuclear Technologies in 1984.
The company suffered a number of setbacks in the early 1990's due to the failure of its attempt to enter in to the electricity trading market, and ill-placed bets on the alternative energy sector, which both suffered a major recession on the back of falling energy prices. However, the company was able to rebound thanks to its cutting edge R&D department, which ultimately landed it the Petrovsk Advanced Propulsion contract in 1997. The rise in fossil fuel prices that began in the late 1990's led to a renewed interest in alternative energy and nuclear power, and the company moved quickly to establish itself in the field. The company's ultra-advanced uranium reprocessing technology gave it a key edge during the uranium price bubble of the late 2000's, enabling it to profitably buy and reclaim waste produced by other firms as well as cut down on its own uranium needs. In addition, this gave it an advantage with environmentally conscious Vetalians, who would not likely support the waste storage needs of conventional power plants. By 2020, the company's portfolio had expanded to include tidal, solar, wind, and geothermal power as well as its nuclear and natural gas assets. Around this time, the company began to sell off its gas power plants, using the assets to fund R&D, new nuclear facilities, and acquisitions, especially in the power technology sector.
In 2030, the company formally changed its name to Xilare Integrated Atomics following the merger with Kazlov Integrated Atomic Systems in 2029. This name change also came on the back of advances in fusion power, which the company suggested would become a significant component of their energy portfolio in the fairly new future. As of 2033, the company has financed a number of prototype reactors to begin the process of commercializing fusion power, and has led political efforts to secure government matching funds for these projects.
