Westinghouse and PGE Agree to Partner on Delivering Nuclear Energy Solutions for Poland

PITTSBURGH, April 27 /PRNewswire/ -- Westinghouse Electric Company LLC today announced that it has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with leading Polish energy provider Polska Grupa Energetyczna (PGE) to collaborate on delivering the AP1000™ nuclear power plant in response to Poland's initiatives for nuclear capacity.

Under the agreement, Westinghouse and PGE will jointly study the feasibility of building new nuclear reactors in Poland based on the AP1000™, the world's most advanced and mature Generation III+ design, which includes innovative features such as modular construction, advanced passive safety systems, and a solid portfolio of construction projects that are currently on time and within budget.  

Bob Pearce, Director, International Project Development, says that the agreement with PGE is an important step in offering Poland a genuine solution to the country's most challenging energy issues. "We welcome the opportunity to partner with PGE in supporting Poland's nuclear energy program, and look forward to collaborating on meeting their economic and energy priorities.  With Poland's need to reduce its carbon footprint by 2020, nuclear energy and the AP1000 PWR are the right solutions for providing reliable baseload electricity that is sensitive to the needs of the environment."  

Pearce adds that Westinghouse is committed to building long-term partnerships in Poland. "The AP1000  PWR provides a greater opportunity for localization of supply for these projects, resulting in jobs and long-term economic benefits for the people of Poland.  We welcome the opportunity to develop a clean, reliable, and secure energy source utilizing the significant skills of the Polish people."  

The AP1000 PWR design is certified by the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, the only Generation III+ reactor to receive such certification.  Additionally, the European Utility Requirements (EUR) organization certified that the AP1000 PWR is compliant with its requirements, confirming that the AP1000 PWR can be successfully deployed in Europe.  The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has also issued an assessment stating that the AP1000 PWR is compliant with IAEA safety standards and objectives.

In addition to four AP1000 plants that the Westinghouse/Shaw Consortium is providing in China, Westinghouse and the AP1000 PWR have been identified as the supplier and technology of choice for no less than 14 plants that have been announced in the United States, including six for which engineering, procurement and construction contracts have been signed. Additionally, Westinghouse and China are currently in discussion on plans for additional AP1000 plants to be sited inland of China's coastal areas.

Westinghouse believes the AP1000 PWR is ideally suited for the worldwide nuclear power marketplace. The AP1000 PWR is:

• Based on standard Westinghouse pressurized water reactor  technology that has achieved more than 2,500 reactor years of highly successful operation
• An 1110MWe design that is ideal for providing baseload generating capacity and fits within the existing design of the Polish electrical grid
• Modular in design, promoting ready standardization and high construction quality
• Economical to construct and maintain (less concrete and steel and fewer components and systems mean there is less to install, inspect and maintain)
• Designed to promote ease of operation (features most advanced instrumentation and control systems (I&C) in the industry)

For more information about the Westinghouse AP1000, visit its Web site at www.ap1000.westinghousenuclear.com.

Westinghouse Electric Company LLC, a group company of Toshiba Corporation (TKY:6502), is the world's pioneering nuclear energy company and is a leading supplier of nuclear plant products and technologies to utilities throughout the world.  Westinghouse supplied the world’s first PWR in 1957 in Shippingport, Pa.  Today, Westinghouse technology is the basis for approximately one-half of the world's operating nuclear plants, including 60 percent of those in the United States.

SOURCE Westinghouse Electric Company LLC