| MPs get first hand view of nuclear in the USA | | Print | |
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The All Party Group on Nuclear Energy visited the United States in August. The delegation consisted of Group Chairman John Robertson MP, Secretary Michael Connarty MP, Nigel Evans MP, Stephen Ladyman MP, Robert Walter MP accompanied by Trade Unionists for Safe Nuclear Energy (TUSNE) Director and Group Advisor Bill Tynan, Westinghouse Stakeholder Relations Manager Adrian Bull and NIA Head of Public Affairs Simon James. First port of call was the Vogtle nuclear power station near Augusta, Georgia. The plant is owned and operated by Southern and consists of two Westinghouse designed PWRs and has one of the highest lifetime load factors in the world which results in it generating a large proportion of the overall profits for the parent group. The delegation were able to tour the plant and were impressed with the extremely clean environment. This was followed by meetings with the plants senior management where they outlined their plans for a further 2 Westinghouse AP1000 units on the site. The representatives of Southern explained the economy of the South Eastern US was booming and the population was expanding fast and so there was an urgent need for more generating capacity across the region in the next 10-20 years which is why almost all the proposed new nuclear plants were in this area. The group then moved on to Pittsburgh to visit Westinghouse. This stage commenced with briefings and discussions with Chief Executive Steve Tritch and Dan Lipman, the Senior Vice-President in charge of the New Power Plants business. Westinghouse also highlighted the dire need for power in the South East and that they believed that Westinghouse would be supplying reactors to provide a large proportion of that as power companies have already proposed 12 AP1000 reactors for the region. Steve Tritch explained that getting the first orders from China for the AP1000 design had been critical to the company as otherwise they would have been behind its competitors in generating a sufficient volume of business for the design which was essential to achieve economies of scale and to ensure ongoing work for Westinghouse’s fuel supply business. He also outlined that the US Government had been of assistance in securing the contract. Members of the delegation were also keen to discuss the extent to which work for any new Westinghouse reactor in the UK could be carried out in the UK. Mr Tritch pointed out that the modular construction techniques on which the AP1000 was based could, for most sections, be most easily carried out in the country in which the reactor was built and that the UK had a lot of expertise in this area. In terms of skills, Westinghouse recognised this as a potential problem in the US and the UK which is why Westinghouse put a strong emphasis on staff training and was recruiting staff at unprecedented levels. The delegation were given the opportunity to visit the AP1000 test control room. Having visited an operating plant with a control room of the current design, the delegation was struck by the contrast. Whereas current control rooms are surrounded by switches and dials the AP1000 is an almost entirely digital screen-based operation. The members were impressed with the technological approach and expressed confidence in the safety of the computer controls for the reactors. In the second part of the visit to Westinghouse, the group visited the Waltz Mill plant on the outskirts of Pittsburgh, where Westinghouse’s nuclear services business is based. The plant is also home to the containment dome which marks the spot of the original prototype PWR. The group first met with David Howell, Vice President of the Field Services business, who explained the nuclear services business supplying reactor outage and maintenance services, such as pump servicing and vessel head replacement, across the world. The Waltz Mill site also provides extensive personnel training. The group were then taken on a tour of the training areas of the plant, where operators practice in a clean and radiation-free environment. The parliamentarians were able to see demonstrations of the installation and operation of robots into steam generators for integrity testing and cleaning. They were also able to see the facilities for training on pump and turbine assembly maintenance. Westinghouse also have a full size pressure vessel head assembly and fuel handling facilities at this site and the group were able to see these being demonstrated. Overall the parliamentarians found the trip to be extremely useful and reported that it had enabled them to be able to speak on the issue with more authority. For those members who had also been to see Areva’s facilities in France earlier this year it helped them to be able to contrast what capabilities each company has. |
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