Westinghouse Electric has signed a contract with Slovenia’s state-owned power company GEN energija to conduct a technical feasibility study (TFS) for deploying an AP1000 reactor.
The study supports Slovenia’s nuclear new-build strategy.
Westinghouse is partnering with Hyundai Engineering & Construction for the TFS.
This study will evaluate the feasibility of deploying an AP1000 reactor at the proposed Krško-II Nuclear Power Plant (NPP), also known as the JEK2 project.
Located next to the existing Krško Nuclear Power Plant, which uses Westinghouse technology, the Krško-II project aims to enhance Slovenia’s energy independence.
Simultaneously, France-based EDF will also conduct a TFS to assess the deployment of reactors at the proposed new nuclear power plant, World Nuclear News reported.
Westinghouse, EDF and Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power (KHNP) were bidding for the study and construction of the plant. KHNP dropped out due to its business environment and strategic priorities.
Slovenia’s JEK2 project involves building a new nuclear power plant with one or two units, offering up to 2.4GW capacity.
The existing Krško NPP is owned and operated by Nuklearna Elektrarna Krško, which is co-owned by GEN energija and Croatian national power company Hrvatska elektroprivreda.
In May last year, the JEK2 project team estimated the cost of constructing a reactor of varying sizes. These range from €9.3bn for a 1GW unit to €15.37bn for a 1.65GW unit.
Bruno Glaser, JEK2 project manager, stated that the TFS conducted by the two bidders would cost around €8.3m. These studies will evaluate the technical and legislative requirements, as well as various safety and implementation aspects.
Westinghouse energy systems president Dan Lipman said: “This potential AP1000 project will not only provide clean, reliable baseload power to Slovenians, it will also deliver real economic benefits and high-quality jobs for years to come while fostering Slovenia’s energy independence.”
According to Westinghouse, the AP1000 reactor is the only Generation III+ reactor with fully passive safety systems, a modular construction design, and the smallest footprint per MWe.
The company said that six AP1000 reactors are currently in operation, setting performance records worldwide, with twelve more under construction and five additional units under contract.
The AP1000 technology has been chosen for nuclear programmes in Poland, Ukraine, and Bulgaria, and is being considered for sites in Europe, the UK, India, and North America.
Recently, Westinghouse Electric signed a global settlement with Korea Electric Power Corporation (KEPCO) and its subsidiary KHNP to resolve a nuclear technology intellectual property (IP) dispute.
