Westinghouse already constructing NPP units of a new generation in China and the U.S.

georgi.velev@klassa.bg


The Westinghouse Electric Company has already launched the construction of 32 nuclear power units of its new AP 1000 model in China. Another 4 ones are being constructed in the U.S. and soon the construction of reactors of this type will be launched in England, explained yesterday before Klassa daily Yordan Yordanov, former director of the Kozloduy NPP, who attended the presentation of the Westinghouse new reactor model. Yordanov added that the AP 1000 model was of the latest generation unlike the Russian reactors proposed for Belene NPP.

Westinghouse is owned by the Japanese Toshiba corporation. Company representatives came to Bulgaria nearly two years ago to present the 1000-megawatt unit which was at the time still not licensed by the U.S. regulatory bodies. Then, Japan proposed a similar reactor to be built as a nuclear unit 7 at the site of Kozloduy NPP. This facility had been licenced by the U.S. regulator, explained Yordanov.

Jose Gutierezz, CEO and Vice President of Westinghouse for Southern Europe, who presented the AP 1000 reactor, met yesterday with Minister of Economy, Energy and Tourism Traicho Traikov. They discussed the development of nuclear energetics in the world after the accident at the Japanese Fukushima NPP and the technological capabilities of the company for the decommissioning of four small units at Kozloduy NPP.

The new reactor of Westinghouse has not been granted a final licence for operation in the United States yet, stated for Klassa daily Bogomil Manchev, Chairman of the Bulgarian Atomic Forum. In order to meet the EU safety requirements, the nuclear power unit should also be mounted with a melt trap (concrete slab under the reactor itself which prevents radiation spillage into the environment). This is one of the EU requirements that Westinghouse should meet in order to be granted a licence for the operation of its unit, specified Manchev. Another disadvantage of the project is its resistance capacity since the reactor cannot withstand in case it is hit by a passenger aircraft unlike the blocks provided for Belene NPP.

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