Westinghouse places conditional module orders with four Polish firms

Westinghouse placed conditional purchase orders with four Polish companies for safety-related modules for the first AP1000 unit at the Lubiatowo-Kopalino plant, it said on October 14.

The orders cover the CA02 walls module scope for Mostostal Kielce SA, the CA03 module scope for Energomontaż-Północ Gdynia SA (EPG), the CA05 walls module scope for Mostostal Krakow SA and the CA20 floors module scope for FAMAK SA. The contracts were signed in Warsaw during the 4th Nuclear Power Industry Congress.

They follow Polskie Elektrownie Jądrowe's go-ahead last week for Westinghouse to begin ordering long-lead items for the first unit, covering six components of the nuclear island, including the reactor containment vessel and associated structural modules.

In an AP1000, the CA02 and CA03 modules form part of the in-containment refueling water storage tank in the containment building. CA05 consists of reinforced steel plates that separate rooms inside the containment building, and CA20's floors are reinforced concrete slabs on steel plates.

Westinghouse said each of the four companies is progressing toward full NQA-1 compliance under its supplier development program. It will award the full project scope after NQA-1 certification and successful fabrication of pre-production qualification mock-ups.

Three AP1000 reactors are planned at the site in Choczewo municipality, Pomerania. Construction is scheduled to begin in 2028, the first unit is scheduled to start commercial operation in 2036, and the plant is expected to reach full capacity by 2038, three years later than previously planned. Bechtel selected Polish engineering firm Polimex Mostostal last month to deliver, assemble and commission two large-scale assembly halls for the project.