Westinghouse to Provide Self-Sufficient Emergency Power Supply for Beznau Nuclear Plant

PITTSBURGH, Dec. 8, 2010 /PRNewswire/ -- Westinghouse Electric Company has won a contract valued at approximately 130 million Euros ($172 million) to provide two new emergency power buildings with related emergency power systems for Axpo AG’s Beznau Nuclear Power Plant in Dottingen, Switzerland. Beznau is a 730 MWe two-unit nuclear plant equipped with Westinghouse pressurized water reactors.

The contract includes engineering, procurement and construction of two buildings, in total four diesel generator sets with sub-systems, switch gears and transformers, HVAC systems, fire-protection systems, as well as all related digital safety and non-safety instrumentation and control systems. Westinghouse will provide full project management oversight and coordination of the interfaces to Axpo AG’s plant integration sub-project from its regional offices in Switzerland and Germany.

Each diesel generator will provide emergency power in the range of 3 MWe to one of the emergency power trains of Beznau Units 1 and 2.  

Emergency power connections for Beznau Units 1 and 2 currently are provided by a hydroelectric plant located on the Beznau nuclear island and existing emergency diesel power units; however, the hydroelectric plant is scheduled to be dismantled in 2015. As a pre-condition, the new emergency power solution must be in place. This solution will address the site’s need for emergency power and provide space on the nuclear island for the envisaged new-build project, Beznau Unit 3.  

Preliminary contract work is under way and is scheduled to be completed during the Beznau Unit 1 spring 2014 and Beznau unit 2 fall 2014 outages.

Norbert Haspel, Westinghouse’s regional managing director, Central Europe, said, “The demand for energy in Switzerland continues to grow, and Axpo AG has been proactive in addressing that need. We are pleased to have been awarded this contract to ensure that the Beznau plant -- the country’s oldest commercial nuclear plant -- continues to generate safe, clean and efficient nuclear power.”  

“Westinghouse appreciates this tremendous opportunity to bring our finest technology, people and project implementation to Beznau,” said Nick Liparulo, senior vice president, Westinghouse Nuclear Services. “We have broad experience at providing engineering solutions for this type of project.  We look forward to applying our experience to create success for this important customer.”

“In addition to the emergency power supply contract, Westinghouse has received contracts from Axpo AG for several other 2014 related outage services, including delivery of replacement reactor vessel heads and new plant information systems,” said Luc Van Hulle, Westinghouse customer project manager, AXPO/Beznau, and director, Major Business Delivery.  

Westinghouse Electric Company, a group company of Toshiba Corporation (TOKYO:6502), 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 supplied the world's first commercial PWR in 1957 in Shippingport, Pennsylvania (USA). Today, Westinghouse technology is the basis for more than 40 percent of the world's operating nuclear plants, including 60 percent of those in the United States.  Information about Westinghouse Electric Company and the AP1000™ nuclear power plant is available on the company’s web site at www.westinghousenuclear.com.

SOURCE Westinghouse Electric Company