Westinghouse expands cooperation in Czech Republic

The MoUs will establish cooperation with the following companies: Valvea, producer of valves, small modules and skids; Hutní montáže, supplier and installer of steel structures, technological equipment and provider of crane services; Spálovský, specialist in instrumentation and control (I&C); Armatury Group, manufacturer of valves; TES Vsetin, producer of auxiliary equipment; Elektrotechnika, specialist in I&C; ZVVZ Group, manufacturer of small modules and skids; PPA Controll, supplier of automation and control and field instrumentation; and Chemcomex, producer of piping systems, assembly and disassembly of technological units and supplier of steel structures.

These MoUs add to the seven agreements signed with local companies in the Czech Republic in January. Those agreement were with: Královopolská, provider of technological steel structures, such as load-bearing equipment structures or platforms; Vítkovice, an engineering group supplying a module for a nuclear power plant; B.C. Prague, developer, producer and servicer of industrial valves for the nuclear and energy industry; I&C Energo, supplier of services in the area of command-and-control systems, industrial information systems, electrical and engineering activities in the field of nuclear power engineering; NOPO, specialist in gantry cranes, paint shop platforms, manipulators and especially overhead cranes with lifting capacities of up to hundreds of tons; Sigma Group, producer of medium, heavy and unique centrifugal pumps designed for use in energy management; and Infer, specialist in supplying piping systems, technological assemblies, valves and metallurgical material.

"Partnering with local suppliers reinforces our execution approach to expand and maximise in-country procurement for the benefit of the nuclear project and the local economy," said Elias Gedeon, senior vice president of commercial operations at Westinghouse Energy Systems.

Westinghouse is one of three finalists in the Dukovany nuclear power plant tender. Last month, the Czech Republic's Ministry of Industry and Trade officially gave its approval after completing the safety assessment of the three approved bidders - EDF from France, Westinghouse from the USA and Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power.

The bidders have until November to submit their initial bids, with ČEZ expecting to have evaluated the bids and submitted its report for state approval in time for finalisation of contracts in 2024.

The new plant at Dukovany is due to be built next to the existing power plant, whose first unit was commissioned in 1985. In March last year, the State Office for Nuclear Safety issued a site licence for two new reactor units at the Dukovany site. The Czech Republic already uses nuclear power for 34% of its electricity, generating this from four reactors at Dukovany and two at Temelin and is also looking at building new units at Temelin.