ŠKODA JS AND AREVA: state-of-the-art nuclear technology is heading to the Finland
Date: 9. 11. 2010
Source: Technický týdeník
The Plzen company ŠKODA JS, member of the OMZ group, has successfully fulfilled contracts for the production of reactor internals and reactor pressure vessel support frame for the AREVA company. These orders for assembly in the Finland are completed by a product of special lifting device for safe manipulation with reactor internals during construction and planned outages.
The Plzen company has already delivered the reactor support frame to Finland. At present the company is going to despatch the internal parts to the final user. Reactor internal parts manipulator recently underwent demanding load tests under severe surveillance of client´s representatives.
„Participation in similar projects helps us to improve our know-how. I convinced myself again that our staff have abilities and knowledge which can be applied for construction of new nuclear units both in the Czech Republic and abroad“, said in this context Mr. Miroslav Fiala, chairman of the board of directors and ŠKODA JS´s general director.
We also asked Thomas Epron, AREVA´s Central and Eastern Europe Regional Business Development Director, about cooperation of the AREVA and ŠKODA JS companies: „Yes, the AREVA cooperates with the ŠKODA JS company, supplier of internal parts for nuclear reactors. We concluded several similar contracts. However this specific contract is still in development stage.“ We were interested in how the large Pilsen company passed according to French and Finnish skilled inspectors who were continuously monitoring safety parameters of the project: „AREVA, together with its suppliers, mainly focuses on respecting all safety parameters. Quality of the supplies is monitored by intensive inspectional program and in inspectional approach. It is just these procedures what assures to the AREVA the unique experience and proficiency in the field of designing and construction of Generation III+ nuclear units in Europe.“ Also at June presentation Thomas Epron praised the Czech engineers, and supported further increasing of number of AREVA´s local suppliers and cooperators. „If the Pilsen company succeeds in the above mentioned contract, will you count with its participation in another AREVA´s significant projects implementation?“ The answer was diplomatic, but also conformable and undoubtedly pleasant for the Pilseners: „ŠKODA JS is AREVA´s longterm business partner. It also cooperates on further projects of reactors completion beyond Europe.“ The ŠKODA JS´s successfull projects reflect in favourable operating results. The year of 2009 was the 10th successfull year in a row since 2000. Compared to 2008, revenues have grown by 27% and reached the value of almost CZK 4 bil., 38% of this amount was for export. The value of newly acquired contracts grew by leap by 195% and reached the record value of CZK 11,7 bil. Thereby the ŠKODA JS reached the net profit of CZK 194 mil (data consolidated by IFRS).
Previous ŠKODA JS´s success in the Slovak Mochovce NPP also illustrates the increasing share of export on total revenues. At the beginning of September, VVER reactor pressure vessel made by the ŠKODA JS was installed there.
Contracts with the French and the Slovaks are not the only ones. The Plzen company also manufactured its state-of-the-art technology for Ukrainian nuclear power plants operator, the subject of delivery was a facility for spent nuclear fuel storage. The Company maintains tight cooperation with German partner for supplies of spent fuel transport and storage casks to Ignalina NPP in Lithuania and Kozloduy NPP in Bulgaria, furthermore it supplied also control rod drives and neutron flux measument channels for Hungarian Paks NPP.