Fluor has been awarded two subcontracts by Westinghouse Electric Co to manage the construction workforce at two US Westinghouse AP1000® nuclear power plant projects in Georgia and in South Carolina – the first majority-owned and operated by Georgia Power and the second owned and operated by SCANA/Santee Cooper.
As a subcontractor to Westinghouse, the prime engineering, procurement and construction contractor, Fluor will manage the majority of construction labour at Georgia Power’s Plant Vogtle Units 3 & 4 near Waynesboro, Georgia, and at two additional nuclear electric generating units for SCANA/Santee Cooper at the V.C. Summer Nuclear Station in Fairfield County, South Carolina.
Westinghouse says “the AP1000 PWR is the safest and most economical nuclear power plant available in the worldwide commercial marketplace. The established design of the AP1000 plant offers three distinct advantages over other designs:
- Unequalled safety
- Economic competitiveness
- Improved and more efficient operations.
“Based on nearly 20 years of research and development, the AP1000 plant builds and improves upon the established technology of major components used in current Westinghouse-designed plants. Components such as steam generators, digital instrumentation and controls, fuel, pressurisers and reactor vessels are currently in use around the world and have years of proven, reliable operating experience.”
The AP1000 plant builds and improves upon the established technology of major components used in current Westinghouse-designed plants with proven, reliable operating experience over the past 50 years. These components include steam generators, digital instrumentation and controls, fuel, pressurisers and reactor vessels.
The simplified plant design includes overall safety systems, normal operating systems, the control room, construction techniques, and instrumentation and control systems. The innovative AP1000 plant design features:
- Fewer safety-related valves
- Less safety-related piping
- Less control cable
- Fewer pumps
- Less seismic building volume.
In addition, says Westinghouse, “the AP1000 plant design saves money and time with an accelerated construction time from the pouring of first concrete to the loading of fuel. The result is a plant that is easier and less expensive to build, operate and maintain.”