Westinghouse Electric Company

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Revision as of 05:12, 30 August 2012 by Melissa Jones (talk | contribs) (Background)
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Background

Westinghouse Electric Company was originally acquired by British Nuclear Fuels Ltd (BNFL) in March 1999. [1] In 2000 BNFL also bought the commercial nuclear power businesses of ABB and integrated them into the Westinghouse Electric Co.

In October 2006 BNFL sold Westinghouse to Toshiba and its partners The Shaw Group and IHI.[2]

The company offers a wide range of nuclear plant products and services to utilities throughout the world, including fuel, service and maintenance, instrumentation and control, and advanced nuclear plant designs. In 2012 it employed almost 14,000 people worldwide.[3]

Nearly 50 percent of the nuclear power plants in operation globally, and nearly 60 percent in the United States, are based on Westinghouse technology. In 2006 Westinghouse’s AP1000 became the first Generation III+ pressurised water reactor to receive Design Certification from the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission.[4]

Westinghouse in the UK

Westinghouse controls Britain's only nuclear fuel manufacturing site, Springfield Fuels. [5]

In July 2007 Westinghouse submitted its AP1000 pressurised water reactor design to the UK’s nuclear regulators (the Office for Nuclear Regulation (ONR) and the Environment Agency) for assessment under their Generic Design Assessment process (GDA). This assessment was originally due to be completed by June 2011. [6]

In July 2011 the ONR and Environment Agency said that they expected to issue interim design acceptance confirmations (iDAC), and interim statements on design acceptability (iSODA) for the AP1000 design and the EPR by the end of the year. A list of GDA Issues would identify outstanding matters that need to be addressed before the regulators will provide a Design Acceptance Confirmation (for ONR) or Statement of Design Acceptability (Environment Agency). Westinghouse then decided to request a pause in the GDA process because it had yet to find a customer in the UK for its AP1000 reactor. [7] Westinghouse had been hoping for an order for AP1000 reactors from Horizon, but the decision by E.ON and RWE to sell Horizon will have been a blow to Westinghouse's hopes. [8]

PR and lobbying

People

Affiliations

External resources

References

  1. Timeline 1980-1999, Westinghouse website, accessed 29 August 2012.
  2. Toshiba completes Westinghouse acquisition, Westinghouse Press Release 17 October 2006, accessed 29 August 2012.
  3. Vision and Values, Westinghouse website, accessed 29 August 2012.
  4. Timeline 2000-2007, Westinghouse website, accessed 29 August 2012.
  5. Springfields Fuels Limited Westinghouse website, accessed 29th August 2012.
  6. AP1000 application website, accessed 29 August 2009.
  7. Nuclear Power in the United Kingdom, World Nuclear Association Country Briefing July 2012, accessed 29th August 2012.
  8. Horizon up for sale as utilities drop plan to develop nuclear power, Professional Engineering, 29th March 2012, accessed 29 August 2012.
  9. APPC Register Entry for 1 September 2010 to 30 November 2010
  10. The Gorlin Group Clients, accessed 20 March, 2008.
  11. Department of Energy and Climate Change, Nuclear Development Forum 27 October 2011, 12noon – 2pm List of Attendees