Westinghouse Electric and Bechtel will tap the Czech Republic’s nuclear industry capabilities to pursue their proposal to supply the Balkan country with up to four nuclear reactors.
The American companies will draw support from the local industry base via an agreement signed with the Czech Power Industry Alliance in Washington on Wednesday, Westinghouse said.
The CPIA, with members including some of the largest nuclear energy technology companies in the country, coordinates the industry’s strategic partnerships and interests with state agencies.
Proposed to Prague in October, the plan calls for delivering Westinghouse AP1000 reactors to the Czech nuclear power plants in Dukovany and Temelin. The plants have a total of six nuclear reactors, with four in Dukovany and two in Temelín.
David Durham, Westinghouse energy systems president, expects Czech companies to provide at least 70 percent of the work on the project. A working group has been established for local participation in the Westinghouse-Bechtel project, with potential opportunities for a similar plan in Poland, Bulgaria and Ukraine.