Information contained in this news release is current as of the date of the press announcement, but may be subject to change without prior notice.
August 28, 2014
London, August 28, 2014 - Hitachi-GE has today moved one step closer to British deployment of the UK Advanced Boiling Water Reactor (UK ABWR), following confirmation from the nuclear regulators that they will move to Step 3 of the Generic Design Assessment (GDA).
The UK ABWR will be deployed by Horizon Nuclear Power at their two sites at Wylfa, on the Isle of Anglesey, and Oldbury-on-Severn in South Gloucestershire.
General Manager, Licensing, Hitachi Europe Ltd. for Hitachi-GE Nuclear Energy, Mr Ken Sato said: "Progression to Step 3 shows the significant and sustained progress we have made. We are delighted to have met this important milestone and be on schedule for completion of the GDA by the end of 2017.
"GDA is rightly a thorough and rigorous assessment, and we look forward to providing further, increasingly detailed, submissions to the regulator throughout the coming months.
"Hitachi-GE now has a team of more than 40 experts working on GDA-alone across three locations in the UK, supported by a wider team from across the Hitachi group. Our UK footprint grows with each step we take, as we increase our understanding of the UK regulatory environment and work with the regulators to meet their expectations.
He continued: "The ABWR is a proven technology and is the only generation III+ reactor which has entered operation anywhere in the world. Its construction at Wylfa then Oldbury will create many thousands of jobs, and its operation will produce the secure, sustainable and affordable energy which the UK needs. We are pleased to be moving forward strongly, and look forward to delivering the plant for Horizon".
Chief Operating Officer of Horizon Nuclear Power, Mr Alan Raymant, said: "We welcome the positive progress Hitachi-GE is making on this crucial element in moving forward our plans to provide secure, low-carbon and affordable electricity for the UK. Following the recent positive announcement on Regulatory Justification and with the launch of our first round of public consultation in September, it shows that we are well on track for first power generation in the first half of the 2020s".
Hitachi-GE, a joint venture established by Hitachi, Ltd. and General Electric Company in July 2007, as one of the world's leading comprehensive plant manufacturers, engages in the development, planning, design, manufacture, inspection, installation, pre-operation, and maintenance of nuclear reactor-related equipment and is able to execute integrated project management. Hitachi-GE has been involved with 23 reactors in Japan to date, including those currently under construction. Among them, it has participated in all of Japan's Advanced Boiling Water Reactor (ABWR) projects-four ABWRs are already operational and three are under construction. Overseas, it has supplied major nuclear reactor equipment for the Lungmen Nuclear Power Plant in Taiwan.
Horizon Nuclear Power was formed in 2009 to develop new nuclear power stations in the UK. It was acquired by Hitachi Ltd of Japan in November 2012. The company is developing plans to build at least 5,400MW of new nuclear power generation plant at Wylfa on the Isle of Anglesey and Oldbury-on-Severn in South Gloucestershire. Its power station sites will employ up to 1000 people each once operational and a peak workforce of up to 6000 is expected during construction. For more information about Horizon, please visit www.horizonnuclearpower.com.