Westinghouse Electric Company

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Background

Westinghouse Electric Company was sold by BNFL to Toshiba in October 2006. [1] 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. Nearly 50 percent of the nuclear power plants in operation worldwide, and nearly 60 percent in the United States, are based on Westinghouse technology. It currently employs almost 14,000 people worldwide.[2]

Westinghouse Electric Company was acquired by BNFL in March 1999. [3] In 2000 the commercial nuclear power businesses of ABB purchased by BNFL and integrated into Westinghouse Electric Company. Then in 2006 Toshiba Corp. and its partners, The Shaw Group and IHI, acquired Westinghouse from BNFL. In 2006 Westinghouse’s AP1000 becomes the first Generation III+ pressurized water reactor to receive Design Certification from the U.S. 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 & Lobbying

People

Affiliations

References

  1. Toshiba completes Westinghouse acquisition, Westinghouse Press Release 17th October 2006, accesssed 29th August 2012.
  2. Vision and Values, Westinghouse website, accessed 29 August 2012.
  3. Timeline 1980-1999, Westinghouse website, accessed 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 29th 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 29th August 2012.
  9. The Gorlin Group Clients, accessed 20th March, 2008.
  10. Department of Energy and Climate Change, Nuclear Development Forum 27 October 2011, 12noon – 2pm List of Attendees

Resources

For further information, see relevant SourceWatch page Westinghouse Electric Company