Westinghouse Electric Company and Hyundai Engineering & Construction Company have signed a teaming agreement to promote AP1000 technology opportunities in Sweden and Finland. Westinghouse will provide the design and development of its AP1000 technology, and Hyundai Engineering & Construction will provide engineering and construction services for the project. The agreement builds upon a 2022 strategic cooperation agreement between the two companies to jointly participate in global AP1000 plant opportunities.
This announcement follows plans unveiled by Swedish power company Vattenfall in February to initiate new nuclear power projects at the Ringhals NPP aiming to have the first reactor operational in the early 2030s and critical decisions regarding reactor types this year. Finnish power company Fortum and Westinghouse signed a memorandum of understanding in June 2023 to explore the potential and prerequisites for new nuclear plants in Finland and Sweden.
“For more than half a century, Westinghouse has proudly supported Vattenfall in delivering clean, safe and reliable energy from the Ringhals Nuclear Power Plant, which is based on Westinghouse design. Cooperation with Fortum would add another dimension to nuclear new build in the region,” said Daniel S. Lipman, President of Westinghouse Energy Systems.
“Hyundai E&C has accumulated unrivalled nuclear EPC competitiveness, technical capabilities and know-how in operating construction management systems through the construction of 24 large-scale nuclear power plants in the global market,” said Young-joon Yoon, CEO & President of Hyundai E&C. “Based on the long-standing trust and partnership between Hyundai E&C and Westinghouse, which dates back to 1971, we will exert our best teamwork to maximise the synergies of both companies for success.”
Currently, the AP1000 is not operating anywhere in Europe. In the USA two AP1000 reactors are operating at the Vogle NPP in Georgia following significant delays and budget overruns. Four Westinghouse AP1000 units are in operation at China, two at each of the Sanmen and Haiyang NPPs. Two CAP1000 units, the Chinese version of the AP1000, are being built as the second phase of each station. A further eight CAP1000 reactors are under construction in China with four more under contract. The AP1000 technology has been selected for the nuclear energy programmes in Poland, Ukraine and Bulgaria.
