More signs of a nuclear resurgence. From Toshiba:
The new company, Toshiba America Nuclear Energy Corporation, started operation this month, with the primary mission of marketing and promoting advanced boiling water (ABWR) nuclear power plants and providing support for related services. As this business develops, Toshiba also plans to expand the scope of the new company's operations to provide licensing and extensive engineering support related to construction of future nuclear power plants, including plant design and procurement. The new office will be located just outside Washington, D.C.From Westinghouse:
Westinghouse Electric Company, a Toshiba Group Company based near Pittsburgh, Pa., announced today that it has opened an office in San Jose, Calif., to support the growth of its Boiling Water Reactor (BWR) nuclear power business.Hat tip to Joe Somsel and Rod Adams for the pointers.
In commenting on the expansion in California, Westinghouse Engineering Services Vice President Nick Liparulo said: "Westinghouse is expanding its BWR capabilities within the U.S. and plans to hire a significant number of new employees to support global BWR growth. Westinghouse is experiencing an exciting time as nuclear energy gains more popularity as the cost-effective energy of choice. We are very happy to be adding San Jose to the Toshiba/Westinghouse family."
Comments
GEH is out of the race to build at STP unless an agreement for the intellectual property linked to the ABWR design certification is offered for sale, and at the right price.
GEH senior management in Wilmington has changed. Former management did not agressively market the ABWR; the focus was on ESBWR. This should be good news for the US ABWR, but it may be too late since Toshiba is making plans for the US market. Toshiba offers plant financing options that GEH can't offer; a very good reason to choose Toshiba to provide your ABWR.
Toshiba is likely to pursue US NRC certification of their version of the ABWR if a deal with GEH cannot be established.
ASEA->ABB->Westinghouse->Toshiba
40 % uprate above the initial output.
ESBWR already in the works. Better chance of success.
I don't think Toshiba-Westinghouse can pull off STP ABWR without GEH.
I'm puzzled by the second anonymous comment. How does anyone offer financing that GE, namely GE Capital, can't?
GE always pursues a high margin business stategy as it runs its conglomerate. Its competitors are taking a market penetration strategy. Result? GE's prices are much higher. I see little reason for GE to stay in a competitive nuclear business.
As to the ESBWR, I hate to diss the competition, but this was conceived as the "politically correct" reactor. Like most political correctness, it ignores reality.
What a reactor being uprated 40% tells me is that it was sloppily designed in the first place. 10% is a reasonable uprate for a design that was professionally tight in the first place, given better tools and improved designs over time.
Joe Somsel
As for GE's wind power, if wind power were so darn great, then why aren't cargo ships still sail boats?
And GE did make ESBWR a part of its Ecomagination product line, but you'll never find ESBWR mentioned when GE does its "green is good" Ecomagination commercials on TV. GE is simply not committed to anything but the DOE funding it's getting for ESBWR, and won't be committed until Dominion, Entergy or Exelon come through with a firm order. Fortunately for Entergy, Spitzer's fall from grace in NY State removes one more anti-nuclear obstacle to its nuclear fleet.