Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) has reached an agreement with Westinghouse to participate in its AP1000 advanced pressurised water reactor (APWR) development programme.
Under the agreement, MHI will provide design and engineering resources to support the design completion of the AP1000. Once utilities and power companies purchase the reactor, MHI will have the opportunity to provide select components for it during construction.
Westinghouse plans to develop the 1000MWe AP1000 for the US market and hopes to receive the design certification from the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) by the end of 2004. Based on the Westinghouse AP600, for which final design certification was issued by the NRC in 1999, the AP1000 is expected to be more economical and safer than conventional nuclear plants by adopting passive safety systems (see NEI March 2001, p22).
MHI and Westinghouse will finalise the contract by the end of the year.
