David Durham, President, Energy Systems at Westinghouse says that the final offer of his company’s participation in the Polish Nuclear Energy Program will be provided upon completion of the FEED study.
Westinghouse is the only company that takes such a complex approach to preparing an offer for Polish authorities. Thanks to the implementation of our FEED study funded by the US Government Westinghouse will provide the Polish government with comprehensive proposal, which will help it make the best decision regarding the selection of a partner in the nuclear program – he says.
Durham states that there will be no problem of competition between AP1000 projects in Central and Eastern Europe in spite of the fact that Poland is looking to develop 6 units and Ukraine has signed an agreement for five units. – I am very confident that we have sufficient capacity. We had two projects in China and two projects in the U.S. that were underway at the same time. From the standpoint of our capacity, we proved we can manage the risks and we have proven supply chains – he says to BiznesAlert.pl.
Westinghouse is only familiar with information that is in the media on EDF’s so-called non-binding offer to Poland. – I only know what is in news reports. We are committed to our offer. At the conclusion of our FEED study we will have a comprehensive offer to the Polish government. It was agreed by the US and Polish governments to undertake this process to provide comprehensive information – Durham says.
Looking from the perspective of the environment there is a growing understanding of nuclear energy usefulness. – We see that more and more environmentalists are pro-nuclear. As to the transparency of information regarding the safety of our reactor, I would point to design certification of AP1000. All information is available on the website of the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission. It provides conclusive evidence of safety of the AP1000 – says David Durham. – Nuclear energy is one of the solutions to the energy crisis. We must decarbonize, we must have a base load electricity source. Nuclear energy is a cost-effective solution.
According to Westinghouse, there is no real competition from small nuclear reactors. – We support SMR’s. They certainly have their place. But no SMR is available in the near term. The most advanced reactor available today is the AP1000. We want to provide Poland with a proven technology and not a first of a kind – states Durham.
Wojciech Jakóbik
Zaręba: Polish nuclear is waiting for the environmental decision (INTERVIEW)