Westinghouse Electric Company and its consortium partner, The Shaw Group, say China's State Nuclear Power Technology Company has selected the Westinghouse AP1000 as the technology basis for four new nuclear power plants to be constructed at the Sanmen and Yangjiang sites.

"Westinghouse is certainly pleased that China has selected the AP1000, the very same advanced plant design that is the technology of choice for most of the new plant programs announced to date in the United States," said Steve Tritch, Westinghouse President and CEO. "We now look forward to working with our Chinese customer to negotiate final contract details so that we can formally implement this forward-looking new build program."

Tritch also said that Westinghouse, a group company of Toshiba Corporation, will work with SNPTC to forge a long-term relationship that will be in the best interests of all parties, including the citizens and governments of China and the United States.

The company says it is their policy to design, produce, market, and distribute their products and services and to conduct all operations in an environmentally sound, socially responsible manner. Westinghouse says it considers the impact its actions may have on the environment and on the health and safety of its employees, subcontractors, customers, and the public.

Westinghouse, with the world's largest installed base of operating nuclear power plants, said the selection of the AP1000 would create or sustain 5,000 well-paying design, engineering and manufacturing jobs throughout the United States.

These jobs will help to load Westinghouse design and manufacturing facilities in Pennsylvania, New England, South Carolina and Utah. Additional jobs will be created at U.S.-based suppliers in at least 20 states, including at major architectural, design and construction organizations. Included are projected jobs in Massachusetts, New Jersey, North Carolina, and Louisiana for Shaw.

"This is truly a win-win for China and the United States," Tritch continued. "China benefits because it will move closer to its goal of energy independence through deployment of the AP1000 technology, which is in our view the safest and most efficient nuclear power plant now available in the worldwide marketplace. The United States benefits through both job creation and the multi-billion dollar export of products, technology and services."

"Approximately one-half of the scope for these first four plants will be sourced from within China," Tritch said. "Over time, though, as Westinghouse wins additional contracts for new plant work in China, additional scope will be sourced in-country. However, Westinghouse, our U.S. supplier base and our consortium partners will continue to benefit much as we do now in the Republic of Korea, where recent new plant awards from that country's maturing industry still provide about $100 million per plant in U.S. scope."

The selection of Westinghouse to supply new nuclear plants in China is the most recent in a series of positive announcements regarding the AP1000 and new construction. Previously, the AP1000 has been identified as the technology of choice for no less than 12 new projected plants in the United States.

Westinghouse believes the AP1000 is ideally suited for the worldwide nuclear power marketplace. The company says the AP1000 is the safest, most advanced, yet proven nuclear power plant currently available in the worldwide marketplace. It is based on standard Westinghouse pressurized water reactor (PWR) technology that has achieved more than 2,500 reactor years of highly successful operation. It contains an 1100MWe design that is ideal for providing baseload generating capacity and the AP1000 is modular in design, promoting ready standardization and high construction quality.

Westinghouse Electric Company is one of the world's pioneering nuclear power company and is a leading supplier of nuclear plant products and technologies to utilities throughout the world. Westinghouse, with Shaw,
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% of those in the United States.

The AP1000 is an advanced 1117 to 1154 MWe nuclear power plant that uses the forces of nature and simplicity of design to enhance plant safety and operations and reduce construction costs.

The Westinghouse AP1000 is a logical extension of its AP600 plant. Design studies have shown that a two-loop configuration could produce over 1000 MWe with minimal changes in the AP600 design. The primary purpose of developing the AP1000 was to retain the AP600 design objectives, design details and licensing basis, while optimizing the power output, thereby reducing the resulting electric generation costs.

The passive safety systems are significantly simpler than the traditional PWR safety systems. They do not require the large network of safety support systems needed in typical nuclear plants, such as AC power, HVAC (heating, ventilation & air conditioning), cooling water systems and seismic buildings to house these components. Simplification of plant systems, combined with increased plant operating margins, reduces the actions required by the operator. The AP1000 has 50 percent fewer valves, 83 percent less piping, 87 percent less control cable, 35 percent fewer pumps and 50 percent less seismic building volume than a similarly sized conventional plant. These reductions in equipment and bulk quantities lead to major savings in plant costs and construction schedules.

The AP1000 NSSS plant configuration consists of two Delta–125 steam generators, each connected to the reactor pressure vessel by a single hot leg and two cold legs. There are four reactor coolant pumps that provide circulation of the reactor coolant for heat removal. A pressurizer is connected to one of the cold leg piping to maintain subcooling in the Reactor Coolant System (RCS).

The two-loop, 1090 MWe plant retains the same basic design of the AP600. Changes to the design to increase the electricity output have been minimized to allow the direct application of most of the existing design engineering already completed for the AP600. Examples of design features that remain unchanged include the nuclear island footprint and the core diameter.

Major component changes incorporated into the AP1000 design include a taller reactor vessel, larger steam generators (Delta-125), a larger pressurizer and slightly taller, canned reactor coolant pumps with higher reactor coolant flows. The designs for these reactor components are based on components that are used in operating PWRs or have been developed and tested for new PWRs. Performance of the passive safety features have been selectively increased, however, these changes have been accomplished with small changes to the AP600 plant design.

The AP1000 fuel design is based on the 17×17 XL (14 foot) design used successfully at plants in the U.S. and Europe. As with AP600, studies have shown that AP1000 can operate with a full core loading of MOX fuel.

Like the AP600, the AP1000 utilizes modularization technique for construction, which allows many construction activities to proceed in parallel. This technique reduces the plant construction calendar time, which saves the IDC (Interest During Construction) cost and reduces the risks associated with plant financing. The AP1000 has a site construction schedule of 36 months from first concrete to fuel loading.

On September 13, 2004, the United States Nuclear Regulatory Commission granted a Final Design Approval to Westinghouse for the AP1000 advanced reactor design.

Westinghouse says it conducts its business affairs in an ethical and proper manner and in full compliance with all laws and regulations. In conducting its business, integrity underlies all relationships, including those with customers and suppliers, and among employees. All employees in the performance of their business activities are required to comply with applicable laws and regulations and to meet the highest standards of ethical business conduct. The standards set forth in the Westinghouse Electric Company Code of Business Ethics outline a number of ethical parameters governing its business.

Westinghouse employees are encouraged to participate in all aspects of community service. From fundraising to public office to youth and recreation programs, Westinghouse says it appreciates employee contributions. Through its annual Westinghouse Community Service Award, the company recognizes employees who contribute outstanding personal service to their communities and award a grant to a nonprofit organization of the recognized employees' choice.

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