(Fwd) Westinghouse AP600 Receives Design Certification From US

["Sandy Perle" <sandyfl@earthlink.net>]

Complete article included.. the dreaded word "from" strikes again!

Thursday January 6, 11:33 am Eastern Time

Company Press Release

SOURCE: Westinghouse Electric Company

Westinghouse AP600 Receives Design Certification From US NRC; Company 
to Aggressively Market Advanced/Passive Reactor Throughout the World; 
Technology Offers Improved Safety Features; Will Enhance Nuclear 
Competitiveness  

PITTSBURGH, Jan. 6 /PRNewswire/ -- Westinghouse Electric Company's 
AP600 is now fully licensed for construction and operation throughout 
the United States and the world following the granting of design 
certification by the United States Nuclear Regulatory Commission.  

Charles W. Pryor, Jr., president and chief executive officer of 
Westinghouse, said design certification, while clearly the most 
significant AP600 milestone to date, is in reality only a stepping 
stone to the company's primary objective of actual construction and 
operation.  

``We have proven over the past decade that nuclear power can be 
competitive with other generating sources,'' he continued. ``Now, we 
have a licensed technology, representing a significant leap forward 
in terms of constructability, safety and economics, that will 
substantially enhance the long-term viability of our industry while 
helping to reduce greenhouse gases associated with fossil plants.''  

Design certification, awarded December 15, is the culmination of a 
ten-year, multi-million dollar effort by the NRC staff, the U.S. 
Department of Energy, the Electric Power Research Institute and 
supporting utilities, Westinghouse, its subcontractors and partners. 
In total, those organizations invested more than 2000 man years in 
testing, design engineering, research and analysis that confirms the 
AP600 is the safest, most economical nuclear plant ever designed.  

With simplicity and passive safety systems as its key technical 
concepts, the AP600 requires 50 percent fewer valves, 80 percent less 
piping, 70 percent less control cable, and 35 percent fewer pumps 
than traditional nuclear power plants. As a result, the AP600 should 
be built much quicker than conventional reactors, with Westinghouse 
estimating construction times, from first concrete to commercial 
operation, of 36 months or less.  

"From" a safety perspective, the AP600 is protected by advanced 
safety systems with special emphasis on the use of natural and 
dependable protection sources such as gravity, natural circulation, 
convection, evaporation and condensation.   

Fully standardized, the AP600 offers a projected capital cost for a 
twin-unit station that should be up to 30 percent less than for 
conventional plants.  

Westinghouse Electric Company is wholly owned by BNFL. With 
headquarters in Monroeville, Pa., Westinghouse offers a wide range of 
nuclear plant products and services to utilities throughout the 
world, including fuel, spent fuel management, service and 
maintenance, instrumentation and control, and advanced nuclear plant 
designs. Westinghouse supplied the world's first commercial nuclear 
power plant in 1957 and has the world's largest installed base of 
operating nuclear power plants.  

BNFL is a leading specialist in nuclear technology and a global 
supplier of nuclear fuel, products and services. Currently around a 
third of BNFL's turnover comes from Westinghouse; a quarter comes 
from the recycling of UK and overseas customers' fuel; a further 
quarter of turnover comes from operating the UK's Magnox power 
stations. The remainder of BNFL's business is in the area of waste 
management and decommissioning, which is expected to grow 
significantly in the years ahead.  

------------------------------------------------------------------------
Sandy Perle					Tel:(714) 545-0100 / (800) 548-5100   				    	
Director, Technical				Extension 2306 				     	
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Personal Website:  http://www.geocities.com/scperle
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