MHI licenses turbine technology to Harbin

Friday, 4 April 2008

Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) of Japan will license technologies to China's Harbin Group for major equipment used in pressurized water reactor (PWR) nuclear power plants, including steam turbines and auxiliary equipment.

Under an agreement signed today, MHI will provide its technologies to Harbin Turbine Co and Harbin Boiler Co - both manufacturers of major electric power generation equipment and affiliates of Harbin Power Equipment Co Ltd (HPEC). The technologies to be licensed apply to 1200 MWe-class large-size steam turbines for nuclear power plant use and major auxiliary equipment, including moisture separator reheaters, deaerators, main valves, condensers and feedwater heaters. MHI has previously provided Harbin with 600 MWe-class ultra-supercritical pressure steam turbine technology.

So far MHI, together with HPEC, has received orders for four 1200 MWe steam turbine generator packages. These orders are for two AP1000 units at Sanmen in Zhejiang province and two AP1000s at Haiyang in Shandong province. The Sanmen and Haiyang reactors could all start up between 2013-5. Initially, MHI will manufacture the major turbine components at its main Takasago factory in Japan's Hyogo prefecture, while Harbin will make the turbine casings and other smaller items. Based on the latest agreement with Harbin, MHI will transfer production to "a Chinese partner in a phased manner."

MHI said that the latest licensing agreement with Harbin is "highly significant" to it as it "further solidifies the company's foundation for full-scale entry into the Chinese market for newly built [nuclear power plants], which is expected to become increasingly robust in the coming years." The company said that as it further develops its collaborative ties with Harbin, MHI will also continue to strengthen its marketing activities targeting the Chinese market.