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Perspective: Westinghouse Electric Co. A Resurgence in Commercial Nuclear Power Westinghouse Electric Co. helps deliver electricity more cleanly, economically and safely n By Jill Clelland The worldwide demand for electricity is growing at an exponential rate. Over the next decade, it’s projected by some sources to increase by 2.6 percent per year, from 14,275 billion kilowatt-hours in 2002 to 21,400 billion kilowatt-hours in 2015. According to the Uranium Information Centre, Ltd. in Melbourne, Australia, the demand for primary energy in East Asia will grow by 5 percent between now and 2010, while the need for electricity will increase 7 to 8 percent annually. In China alone, power generation requirements are expected by some to almost double from 1994 to 2010, with much of the need being met by nuclear power generation. According to China’s State Electricity Regulatory Commission, more than 120 GW of generating capacity is currently under construction, but it is likely to take until next year for generating capacity to catch up with demand in most areas. Despite this growth in capacity, blackouts and power rationing have become a major issue in many provinces, particularly during the peak summer demand for air conditioning. In the United States, there is a strong concern about the country’s reliance on foreign oil and the rising costs of other fuel sources. Nuclear power generation is emerging as the safe, clean and cost-effective alternative to more traditional fuel sources, and Westinghouse Electric Company is continuing to take a leading role in the industry. The company is focused on delivering improved performance, reliability and efficiency with existing and new nuclear energy plants worldwide by providing fuel, services, technology, plant design and equipment for the commercial nuclear electric power industry. In addition, Westinghouse is working with the U.S. government to reduce the capital costs of new plants so they can be more competitive in the energy marketplace. The company’s technology is the basis for nearly half of the world’s operating commercial nuclear power plants, and almost 60 percent of those in the U.S. Westinghouse’s newest Nuclear Regulatory Commission design-certified plant offering, the AP1000, was designed using Intergraph products. The AP1000 is a pressurized water reactor (PWR) with innovative, passive safety features and a much simplified design intended to reduce the reactor’s material and construction costs while improving operational safety. PDS®, along with MicroStation, was used to do plant 3D modeling. Two-dimensional drawings are extracted from the 3D model, while Isogen ® is used to create the isometric drawings. Initially, PDS 2D was used for the P&IDs for the AP600, predecessor to the AP1000. They were converted to SmartPlant® P&ID while revising them for the AP1000. SmartPlant Explorer, a companion product, is used to review intelligent P&IDs. The 2 Insight Insight: Special Focus
SmartPlant Review suite has been used extensively to review the plant in an integrated fashion, and also for constructability. The benefits of 3D visualization don’t have to end with engineering and construction of a plant. The 3D models and data generated by visualization tools can be used as part of training, operations and maintenance, realizing both cost- and time-saving benefits. The AP1000 provides a high degree of public safety and licensing certainty. It draws upon more than 40 years of experience in light water reactor components and technology, so no demonstration plant is required. While clearly advanced in its application of passive safety features, the AP1000 is still based on the very same Westinghouse PWR technology that has accumulated thousands of reactor-years of successful operation internationally since the first PWR went online in Shippingport, Pennsylvania U.S. in 1957. The AP1000’s predecessor, the AP600, was designed with input from more than 30 engineering organizations from around the world. The AP1000 also had international collaborators. Previously, the collaboration was performed at each organization, and integrated into Westinghouse’s controlling model by manual integration. Since that time, Intergraph products have become more capable of workshare and collaboration. They enable Westinghouse to perform detailed design work around the world, and the modular design of the plants allows suppliers to work globally and have all the pieces fit together when joined at the plant site. Certainly the time is right for the U.S. to renew its focus on nuclear power generation. In fact, a number of utilities have submitted applications to the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission in preparation for building a plant. The Energy Policy Act of 2005 focuses on lowering the country’s foreign and fossil fuel dependence, with many significant incentives intended to grow the U.S. nuclear industry. More and more political, business and environmental leaders are speaking out on the advantages of nuclear power as the cleaner, cheaper, and yes, safer power generation alternative. In an article published April 14, 2006 in The Washington Post, Greenpeace co-founder Patrick Moore says, “Nuclear energy may just be the energy source that can save our planet from another possible disaster: catastrophic climate change.” He continues, “More than 600 coal-fired electric plants in the United States produce 36 percent of U.S. emissions – or nearly 10 percent of global emissions – of CO2, the primary greenhouse gas responsible for climate change. Nuclear energy is the only large-scale, cost-effective energy source that can reduce these emissions while continuing to satisfy a growing demand for power. And these days it can do so safely.” In 2001, the nuclear energy industry announced its goal of preserving the existing percentage of America’s emission-free electricity, while at the same time adding new electricity generation. Vision 2020 specifies having enough new nuclear power plants either under order, under construction or already built to provide 50,000 MW of additional electricity-generating capacity to the U.S. power grid by 2020. Vision 2020 also calls for the addition of another 10,000 MW capacity of nuclear power by modifying existing plants with more efficient equipment and more accurate instrumentation so they can produce more electricity, and by operating current plants more efficiently so there is less time when the reactor is not producing full power. Together with other renewable production, these increases will maintain the non-emitting percentage of electricity produced in the U.S. at 30 percent, continuing to help keep our air clean. It’s imperative to plan for rather than react to increases in future energy requirements. The AP1000 has been confirmed as the technology base for 10 combined construction and operating license applications. Among the utility companies considering expanding their nuclear capabilities are South Carolina Electric & Gas (principal subsidiary of SCANA Corporation), Duke Power, Progress Energy and the team of Southern Company and Georgia Power. Late last year, NuStart, the nation’s largest consortium of nuclear power companies, selected TVA’s Bellefonte nuclear plant site for a combined construction and operating license (COL) application for the AP1000. The AP1000 is ideally suited for the worldwide nuclear power marketplace. Not only is it the safest, most advanced design available, but its modular design promotes ready standardization and high construction quality. Its 1100 MWe design is ideal for providing baseload- generating capacity. It’s economical to construct and maintain because it requires less concrete and steel and fewer components and systems. It’s designed to promote ease of operation and features the most advanced instrumentation and control in the industry. In the past, the high cost and long-term build-out schedules for nuclear power plants discouraged many countries from focusing on this type of power generation. Westinghouse is addressing both of these issues with the AP600 and AP1000. By using modular construction methods, Westinghouse and its project partners will be able to build the AP1000 in 36 months. This is one-fourth to one-half the customary construction time of the most recent U.S. nuclear plants. Using Intergraph’s SmartPlant Review, Westinghouse shortened the construction cycle, ensuring the buildability of the plant as designed and using the model as an informational tool for both technical and non-technical audiences. The price of fossil fuels, pending clean air regulations and increasing concerns about dependence on foreign oil suppliers will continue to encourage renewed interest in nuclear power generation. Taking into consideration that the newest technology allows significant cost reductions in plant construction, as well as streamlined build-out time and licensing procedures, nuclear power is the obvious choice for the future. Westinghouse is proud to be at the forefront of this exciting renaissance in nuclear power generation. Jill Clelland is information management lead for passive plant development at Westinghouse Electric Co. LLC. www.westinghousenuclear.com Nuclear Industry Insight 3
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