Power pioneers

Westinghouse Electric Company has formed Westinghouse Electric Company UK, a Preston-based organisation that will offer its services and expertise as Britain looks to renew its nuclear fleet.

David Bonser will be the organisation’s chairman while Mike Tynan will serve as the chief executive of Westinghouse UK.

Westinghouse is confident that a fleet of its AP1000 reactors deployed in the UK could contribute as much as £30bn to the country’s economy.

Bonser said: ‘About half of this value would arise during construction of the fleet of plants, with the rest being delivered over the full 60- to 80-year period of operation.’

Tynan added that a strong UK nuclear infrastructure would be necessary to support construction and operation of AP1000s in the UK and that such an infrastructure would also position the country as an exporter of nuclear products and services.

He said: ‘Westinghouse will be pursing new plant business in scores of countries throughout the world.

'As the UK market is more imminent than many, it is highly likely that Westinghouse would make use of British companies participating with Westinghouse in the UK to serve other more intermediate- and long-term new plant markets where infrastructure does not exist.’

Aris Candris, president and chief executive officer of Westinghouse Electric Company, said: 'Like Westinghouse, the UK is a nuclear power pioneer.

‘We believe that the UK nuclear industry is one that will remain at the cutting edge in terms of new plant construction, research and development and infrastructure.’