GE partners with Doosan for turbines
Doosan Heavy Industries will work with General Electric of the USA for the 1560 MWe turbine and generator set for Korea's forthcoming APR+ reactor design.
APR+ is to be the next in the development sequence for the South Korean nuclear industry after the OPR1000 and the APR1400, both tracing their routes back to System 80 pressurized water reactors imported from Westinghouse in the 1990s as a base for self-sufficiency in nuclear technology.
A memorandum of understanding signed by GE and Doosan on 18 July covers the joint development of the turbine and generator set that APR+ units would supply with steam. The design of this should be completed in 2012 in time for the commercialisation of the reactor in 2015.
APR+ should feature enhancements in economics as well as more power and passive safety features compared to APR1400.
South Korea has recently joined the ranks of reactor vendors after a consortium of its major nuclear firms won a $20 billion contract to build four APR1400s in the United Arab Emirates. The firms pushed very hard to win that contract and it is expected to occupy a large part of their resources for coming years. Nevertheless, APR+ is currently in development and set for domestic and export use while the South Korean government hopes to export some 80 reactors before 2030.
GE noted that the MoU also covers development of steam turbines for fossil power plants. The firms' cooperation to date has resulted in the turbines that power 14 GWe of South Korea's 17.7 GWe nuclear power fleet, as well as 19 GWe of fossil plants.
Researched and written
by World Nuclear News
