Friday, June 7, 2013

#Nuclear Japan: Toshiba/Westinghouse to Sell AP1000 Nuclear Reactors to Czech Republic


Thanks to the top sell by Shinzo Abe, who must be visiting his loo every 10 minutes during the market hours in Tokyo.

From Nikkei Shinbun (6/8/2013; part, emphasis is mine):

東芝傘下WHがチェコ原発受注へ 福島事故後で初

Toshiba subsidiary Westinghouse to supply nuclear reactors to Czech Republic, first after the Fukushima accident

チェコの原子力発電所建設計画で、東芝傘下の原子力大手、米ウエスチングハウス(WH)が受注する見通しとなった。安倍晋三首相とゼマン・チェコ大統領が16日の首脳会談で、原子力技術の相互協力を柱とする覚書(MOU)を交わすことで大筋合意した。建設する原発は2基、総事業費は100億ドル(約1兆円)。東日本大震災後に中断していた日本の原発輸出が一段と加速しそうだ。

Westinghouse in the US, one of the largest companies in nuclear business and subsidiary of Toshiba, is set to receive orders for the nuclear power plant project in Czech Republic. Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and Czech President Miloš Zeman will exchange a memorandum of understanding of mutual assistance in nuclear technology during the summit meeting on June 16. The total project cost is projected to be 10 billion dollars (about 1 trillion yen). Japan's nuclear export, which was interrupted by the March 11, 2011 disaster, is set to accelerate.


Toshiba/Westinghouse is to supply two additional reactors to the existing two at Temelin Nuclear Power Station in South Bohemia in Czech Republic. Their AP1000, received the highest ranking among competing bidders in March this year.

4 comments:

forthespacemen said...

WTF: Pres Milos Zeman needs to have a reality Czech

netudiant said...

Well, the AP1000s will hopefully be much more robust than the 6 VVERs that the country currently uses to produce about a third of its power.
Tsunamis should not be an issue in the Czech Republic, while the memory of Chernobyl probably rules out more VVERs.

Anonymous said...

1) VVER not related to the Chernobyl disaster.
2) AP 1000 does not have the experience of successful operation, they only build,
3) The decision to build a U.S. reactor, a purely political.

netudiant said...

re anonymous @ 1.20 am
You are quite right, the Chernobyl reactor was an RBMK, different design from VVER. My mistake.
Agree that the AP1000 is an new design, not a copy of an existing plant. Pioneers have arrows in their back is the saying. Cost growth seems likely.
My guess is the selection was forced once the political decision to not simply add another of the existing Russian design had been reached. The alternative new model from Areva is experiencing such construction problems in Finland that it lacks credibility.

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