PITTSBURGH, Feb. 1 /PRNewswire/ -- 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:
-- employs passive design features to deliver significant increases in
nuclear safety while dramatically reducing the size and complexity of
the plant.
-- 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.
-- 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.
-- 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.
-- 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.
-- is the most cost effective reactor to operate, with 95%+ availability,
18 month fuel cycles, 15-day outages, streamlined staffing, and lower
maintenance requirements.
-- 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,
(http://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 http://www.shawgrp.com.
SOURCE Westinghouse Electric Company
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Related links:
http://www.westinghousenuclear.com
http://www.shawgrp.com
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CONTACT:
Vaughn Gilbert of Westinghouse Electric
Company, +1-412-374-3896, gilberhv@westinghouse.com
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