Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd. (MHI) has completed the construction of its new manufacturing plant, Takasago Machinery Works in Hyogo Prefecture. The plant, dedicated to the production of steam turbine rotors for nuclear power plants will produce one of the world’s largest turbines, featuring 70-inch class turbine blades.
MHI said that the plant will play a key role for US-APWR and EU-APWR nuclear power plants. The US-APWR and EU-APWR are 1700MWe class advanced pressurized water reactors (APWR) for the US and EU markets, respectively.
The plant will boost MHI's annual rotor production capacity from the current six units to 10 and significantly push forward the company's plan to establish a "two NPPs per year" production structure.
To date, MHI has manufactured and supplied turbines for all 24 pressurized water reactors in operation or under construction in Japan – making a total power output equivalent to more than 20GW. The company has also received export orders for NPP turbines from countries including China, Spain and Slovenia.
MHI is one among the world's leading suppliers capable of satisfying all NPP-related needs: from basic planning of PWR NPPs to design, manufacture, inspection, installation, test operation and services after startup. Based on its track record of numerous PWR NPP constructions, the company is currently conducting marketing activities and business negotiations for the US/EU-APWRs, which are among the world's largest PWRs. Together with AREVA it is also jointly developing the ATMEA1, a 1100MWe class PWR.
MHI said its initiative to construct dedicated plants for NPP turbines is the company's response to robust development of this market. Going forward, leveraging the completion of its new plant, the firm aims to conduct further aggressive marketing activities for its PWRs and components.
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