Nuclear News

Westinghouse Develops New Inspection Technique for Sweden’s Oskarshamn Unit 3 Nuclear Power Plant

Westinghouse Electric Company with subsidiary WesDyne Sweden AB was selected by OKG AB to develop and qualify techniques and equipment to inspect the core shroud support at OKG AB's Oskarshamn unit 3 Nuclear Power Plant (NPP) in Sweden. The contract scope includes developing and qualifying ultrasonic and eddy current techniques for 70 millimeter thick Inconel 182 welds, as well as two new manipulators to inspect approximately 35 meters in five different weld segments.

GE Power & Water Wins Outage Services Work for DTE Energy’s Fermi 2 Nuclear Power Plant

DTE Energy awarded outage services work to GE Power & Water through GE Hitachi Nuclear Energy (GEH) and GE Power Generation Services (PGS) for the utility's Fermi 2 Nuclear Power Plant. GEH will provide outage and inspection services related to the boiling water nuclear reactor at the Fermi 2 plant, while PGS will provide inspection and maintenance services to the main generator and six turbine valves.

Jacobs Selected for EDF Energy's UK Hinkley Point C Project

Jacobs Engineering Group was selected as a preferred bidder by EDF Energy to support its proposed new 3,200-MW nuclear power generation plant at Hinkley Point in Somerset, United Kingdom. Under the terms of the contract, Jacobs is to provide project management for the building and civil work on the main construction site including the marine works.

Westinghouse Wins Safety Upgrade Contract at Palo Verde Nuclear Generation Station

Westinghouse Electric Company was contracted by Arizona Public Service to provide the first Mobius system, a continuous mobile boration system designed for use at the Palo Verde Nuclear Generation Station. Work already is underway on the project. Delivery of the Mobius system to Palo Verde is scheduled for late 2015. At Palo Verde, the Mobius system will be used at the start of outages to borate the plant to refueling boron concentrations much faster than current methods, resulting in reduced outage duration.

Energy Department Invests $60 Million to Advance Nuclear Technology

The Energy Department announced more than $60 million in nuclear energy research and infrastructure enhancement awards. Sixty-eight projects from across the country were selected based on their potential to create scientific breakthroughs that both help strengthen the nation's energy security and reduce harmful greenhouse gas emissions.

NRC Requires Additional Earthquake Risk Analysis for Two Western U.S. Reactors

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission set a June 2017 deadline for two of three Western U.S. operating nuclear power plants to conduct in-depth analyses of their updated earthquake risk. The NRC is requiring Columbia (Benton County, Wash.) and Diablo Canyon (Avila Beach, Calif.) to submit their detailed risk analysis by June 30, 2017. The NRC continues to examine information from Palo Verde (Wintersburg, Ariz.); if the agency concludes the plant needs the in-depth risk analysis it must complete the work by Dec. 31, 2020.

Westinghouse Extends Capacity of Sweden’s Nuclear Fuel and Waste Management Company

Westinghouse Electric signed a contract with Svensk Kärnbränslehantering AB (SKB), the Swedish Nuclear Fuel and Waste Management Company to increase the capacity of the cooling system, also known as the cooling chain, at the Central Interim Storage Facility for Spent Nuclear Fuel (Clab) located outside Oskarshamn, on Sweden's east coast.

NRC Approves Safety Report for Westinghouse Small Modular Nuclear Reactor

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) approved Westinghouse Electric’s testing approach for the Westinghouse small modular reactor (SMR) design. The NRC told Westinghouse that it has granted a safety evaluation report (SER) for the licensing topical report that the company submitted in April 2012 for agency review and approval. The Westinghouse SMR is a 225-MW integral pressurized water reactor with all primary components located inside of the reactor vessel.

Bechtel and Westinghouse Establish Alliance to Pursue Nuclear Decommissioning Work

Bechtel partnered with Westinghouse Electric to provide decontamination and decommissioning services for nuclear power plants throughout the United States. The alliance will provide a full range of services: pre-shutdown planning, licensing, project development and management, dismantling, demolition, waste handling, and site closeout--with a central focus on the safe and efficient handling of radioactive materials. Bechtel has performed services on 88 percent of the U.S. nuclear power fleet.

Westinghouse to Co-Develop Nuclear Power in Turkey

Westinghouse Electric, China's State Nuclear Power Technology Corporation (SNPTC) and Electricity Generation Company (EÜAŞ) entered into exclusive negotiation to develop and construct a four-unit nuclear power plant site in the Republic of Turkey based on AP1000 reactor technology. The project also covers all life cycle activities including operations, nuclear fuel, maintenance, engineering, plant services and decommissioning.