Nuclear plant buyers are shopping for best solutions for their specifc needs
– By Stephen Heiser –
The market for AREVA’s nuclear reactor models could grow as one of its competitors has potentially lost two customers. Entergy Nuclear and Dominion Power both had tentative plans to build reactors using a GE
Hitachi design, but each recently said they would shop around for another vendor.
Dominion had signed on to GE Hitachi’s Economic Simplified Boiling Water Reactor for its proposed third reactor at the North Anna plant near Richmond. Entergy had chosen the model for potential reactors in Mississippi and Louisiana. Both utility companies submitted applications for NRC construction approval.
On January 12, 2009, Nuclear Street reported that Entergy was asking the NRC to halt the review of its applications to build GE Hitachi’s model (http://nuclearstreet.com/blogs/nuclear_power_news/archive/2009/01/12/entergy-nuclear-to-explore-alternative-nuclear-technologies-that-improve-service.aspx).
The company did not criticize the design, but said it could not come to mutually agreeable business terms with GE Hitachi. In a news release, the company said it “will explore alternative nuclear technologies that better serve its customers.” Mike Bowling, spokesman for Entergy, said “the company does not yet have a timeline for choosing a new technology.”
Dominion also broke off negotiations with GE Hitachi. That decision also was based on the inability to come to an agreement, said Dominion spokesman Jim Norvelle. “We still like their design,” he said. “We are going to have (a) competitive process to find a vendor who can come in and give us a schedule and … financial terms that we can agree on.”
He said GE Hitachi could participate in the competitive bidding process and still come out on top, but Dominion is looking at other vendors who could pick up the project.
AREVA spokeswoman Denise Woernle said AREVA has an interest in winning business from Entergy and Dominion.
Woernle said AREVA has a long-term relationship with both companies. “We have engaged in dialog regarding future new nuclear power plants for several years,” she said.
Entergy officials actually have visited the construction site of one of AREVA’s Evolutionary Power Reactors in France, she said.
“We welcome the opportunity to discuss our nuclear power plant design with utilities such as Entergy who are looking for the best solution for providing electricity to their customers,” she said.