Westinghouse does not rule out construction of first AP300 small modular reactor in Ukraine
MOSCOW. June 5 (Interfax) - Westinghouse Electric Company Energy Systems President David Durham has not ruled out construction of the first AP300 small modular reactor in Ukraine.
Durham said in an interview with the Ukrainian media that the company was planning to certify its design by the end of 2027. As for the location of the first AP300, it will depend on the clients, he said, adding they do not have to build the first reactor in the United States and could do so in Ukraine.
In his words, Westinghouse is in talks on the potential construction of AP300 small modular reactors with several clients inside and outside the United States, including in Central and Eastern Europe.
Westinghouse assumes that countries interested in AP1000 would also show interest in AP300, considering that they employ identical technologies, Durham said.
Colossal experience in building reactors gives Westinghouse competitive edge over other developers of small modular reactors, he said.
There is a great variety of technologies developed and promoted by nuclear energy companies, but most of them have never built a reactor before, Durham said.
Reactor sizes chosen by Westinghouse have various advantages and could be used in various sectors and industries, he said.
Large AP1000 units can provide up to 1,200 MW of power. This is the source of a large base load around large population centers or major industrial centers. The AP300 small modular reactors are ideal for small communities or large industrial plants. In addition, the 5 MW eVinci micro-reactors are ideal for remote communities that use diesel or remote industrial plants, offshore cargo ships burning diesel, oil and gas, chemical industries, and data centers, Durham said.
It is planned to buil the first AP1000 reactor unit in Ukraine at the Khmelnitsky Nuclear Power Plant, Durham said. In his words, the Energoatom national company will choose and manage building companies, while Westinghouse will provide technology, engineering support and equipment. The Export-Import Bank of the United States will assist Energoatom in funding the project.
As reported earlier, Energoatom and Westinghouse signed a memorandum in September 2021 to build five nuclear reactor units in Ukraine. The companies agreed in early June 2022 to increase the number of reactor units to be built by the AP1000 technology in Ukraine from five to nine and to open a Westinghouse engineering and technical center the Ukrainian territory.
They also signed a contract for updating a feasibility study of the construction of two AP1000 reactor units at Ukraine's Khmelnitsky NPP in July 2022.
AP300 is based on the AP1000 technology, including main equipment, structural components, passive safety, fuel and control, management and protection systems.