Westinghouse Submits Bid for AP1000 Nuclear Plants in RSA
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PITTSBURGH, Feb. 1 -- Westinghouse Electric Company announced today that it submitted its response to provide three AP1000(TM) nuclear power plants to the Republic of South Africa beginning in 2016. The company also submitted a second response to provide up to 20,000 MW of nuclear power generation in South Africa by 2025.
The submittals fulfill requirements of the "Request for Proposals" issued by the South African utility Eskom on November 15, 2007.
The Westinghouse responses were submitted in cooperation with US Shaw Group Inc. (NYSE:SGR) and Murray & Roberts Limited of South Africa, a major construction company. Westinghouse, Shaw and Murray & Roberts will team together as N-Powerment, which is being formed to implement the project and facilitate an effective localization and technology transfer program for the Republic of South Africa.
Dr. Rita Bowser, Regional Vice President, South Africa, for Westinghouse, said the Westinghouse response is designed to provide the safest and most economical nuclear power technology to South Africa in a manner that is mutually beneficial to all parties.
In a letter to Eskom that accompanied the Westinghouse responses, Dr. Bowser stated: "One of the key elements of Westinghouse's localization strategy in 2007 was to launch a South African operation under the name Westinghouse Electric South Africa. This was a result of the finalization of the acquisition of South African company, IST Nuclear (ISTN), a leading provider of services and systems for the Pebble Bed Modular Reactor (PBMR). Westinghouse Electric South Africa will serve as an anchor for Westinghouse in its localization efforts.
"Another major element of its localization strategy is the formation of N- Powerment, a team comprised of Westinghouse Electric Company LLC, Murray & Roberts Ltd, and Stone & Webster, Inc. N-Powerment is led by Westinghouse and has been established to deliver safe, reliable, and affordable nuclear power to Eskom and a world-class, socio-economic development program to South Africa ... "
Dr. Bowser also stated that the AP1000 is ideal for the Republic of South Africa as it combines proven power generation systems and components with advanced, passive safety systems. It is the only Generation III+ nuclear power plant to receive Final Design Approval and Design Certification from the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
Additionally, the AP1000:
o employs passive design features to deliver significant increases in nuclear safety while dramatically reducing the size and complexity of the plant.
o is easier to build relative to other designs due to its modular construction approach. The modular approach not only simplifies construction but it also shortens the construction schedule.
o is the right size for the South African grid, offering the lowest costs for siting and transmission infrastructure upgrades, and least in relation to power supply and maintenance. AP1000 should not require an increase in spinning reserve capacity.
o is suitable to both sea-side and in-land application. There is already a cooling tower design for in-land which features very low water usage.
o is easier to build relative to other designs since its structures are a fraction of the size of other designs, and there is far less equipment to install.
o is the most cost effective reactor to operate, with 95%+ availability, 18 month fuel cycles, 15-day outages, streamlined staffing, and lower maintenance requirements.
o is licensed in the United States, is two orders of magnitude safer than existing nuclear power plants, and thus should be straightforward to license in South Africa.
Westinghouse Electric Company, a group company of Toshiba Corporation, (www.westinghousenuclear.com) is the world's pioneering nuclear power company and is a leading supplier of nuclear plant products and technologies to utilities throughout the world. Westinghouse technology is the basis for approximately one-half of the world's operating nuclear power plants, including 60 percent of those in the United States.
Murray & Roberts is the premier engineering and construction company in South Africa, with a proven track record of delivering major projects in South Africa and internationally, a sound understanding of the South African regulatory environment, Broad Based Black Economic Empowerment (BB-BEE), labor and supply chain, and, a local fabrication and manufacturing capability for material, modules, and other components.
The Shaw Group Inc. is a leading global provider of technology, engineering, procurement, construction, maintenance, fabrication, manufacturing, consulting, remediation and facilities management services for government and private sector clients in the energy, chemical, environmental, infrastructure and emergency response markets. A Fortune 500 company with nearly $6 billion in annual revenues, Shaw is headquartered in Baton Rouge, La., and employs approximately 27,000 people at its offices and operations in North America, South America, Europe, the Middle East and the Asia-Pacific region. For further information, please visit Shaw's Web site at www.shawgrp.com.
Source: Westinghouse Electric Company
CONTACT:
Vaughn Gilbert of Westinghouse Electric Company
+1-412-374-3896
gilberhv@westinghouse.com
Web site: http://www.westinghousenuclear.com/
http://www.shawgrp.com/
