ŠKODA JS to Provide Chinese Taishan NPP with Internal Parts for the Biggest Nuclear Power Reactor
Date: 8. 7. 2009
Regardless of the current financial crisis, Plzeň-seated ŠKODA JS has met another success in western markets.
After a challenging several-month-long tender and subsequent complex negotiations, ŠKODA JS and French AREVA NP concluded a contract for manufacture of EPR-type nuclear reactor internal parts for the Chinese Taishan 1&2 project. This new nuclear power plant is being erected by a consortium of AREVA NP SAS, China Nuclear Power Engineering Company and China Nuclear Power Design Company in Guangdong Province in the South-East of China near Hong Kong.
After Finnish Olkiluoto 3 and French Flamanville 3, Taishan 1&2 is the third EPR project in the world. An EPR-type reactor represents a new type of a pressurized water reactor of a so-called III+ generation, which, compared to existing power reactors in operation, is characterized by increased safety, service lifetime extended up to 60 years and a higher level of environmental friendliness (reduction of fuel consumption by 15%, smaller amounts of nuclear waste produced). It is a reactor with the biggest power output in the world (1.600 MWe), with corresponding dimensions imposing extreme requirements for the production process, which moves along the limits of current technological possibilities.
ŠKODA JS has cooperated with AREVA NP on EPR projects since 2005, when it was awarded contracts for manufacture of reactor internal parts and a pressure vessel support ring for a new unit at the Finnish Olkiluoto nuclear power plant. The above reactor became the very first EPR-type reactor to be implemented. In 2007, the cooperation was extended by a contract for manufacture of a lifting device for safe manipulation with reactor internal parts during construction and regular outages. The reactor support ring was delivered to the Olkiluoto site in December 2008, the reactor internals and manipulator shall be dispatched by the end of this year.
The scope of cooperation between ŠKODA JS and AREVA NP is absolutely exceptional and proves, that the French partner is not only looking for purpose cooperation focused on domestic nuclear projects but is also willing to cooperate with the Czech industry on projects outside the Czech Republic on a long-term basis.