Westinghouse wins huge nuclear power deal in China

Dec 16, 2006, 14:25 GMT

Beijing - US-based Westinghouse on Saturday signed a multi-billion-dollar contract to supply technology for four nuclear plants at two locations in China, the company said.

China's State Nuclear Power Technology Company (SNPTC) agreed in principle to use Westinghouse AP1000 technology for two new nuclear power plants each at the Sanmen and Yangjiang sites, Westinghouse said in a statement.

'Westinghouse is certainly pleased that China has selected the AP1000, the very same advanced plant design that is the technology of choice for most of the new plant programs announced to date in the United States,' Westinghouse President Steve Tritch said in the statement.

'We now look forward to working with our Chinese customer to negotiate final contract details so that we can formally implement this forward-looking new build programme,' Tritch said.

Westinghouse, owned by the Toshiba Corporation, said the selection of the AP1000 would help sustain 5,000 design, engineering and manufacturing jobs in the United States.

'This is truly a win-win for China and the United States,' Tritch said.

'China benefits because it will move closer to its goal of energy independence through deployment of the AP1000 technology, which is in our view the safest and most efficient nuclear power plant now available in the worldwide marketplace.

'The United States benefits through both job creation and the multi-billion dollar export of products, technology and services.'

About half of the value of the four plants will be sourced within China, Tritch said.

The agreement was signed during a visit to Beijing by US Energy Secretary Sam Bodman.

During talks in Beijing on Thursday and Friday, Bodman said he discussed technical cooperation with China in clean energy including clean coal, wind, solar and nuclear power.