Westinghouse Electric Company

From new reactors in the U.S., Poland and China to nuclear fuel for Ukraine to developing #NuclearEnergy for space exploration, take a look back at our many achievements in 2023 and come with us as Westinghouse goes even bigger in 2024.

"I like to tell people that we tested and commissioned Unit 4 in approximately half the time we tested and commissioned Unit 3. So yes, there are tons of lessons, and Southern Company is committed to helping other utilities both in the United States and around the world learn from our experience as they go off to build." -- Southern Nuclear Senior Vice President John Williams speaking with the World Nuclear News podcast about Plant Vogtle's two new advanced Westinghouse AP1000® reactors in the state of Georgia. Unit 3 came online last summer and Unit 4 came online in April. They are the first new reactors in the United States in 30 years. Listen in at the link below to hear John's full interview with WNN about the lessons learned at Vogtle.

Westinghouse held a three-day, in-depth technical training last month in Warsaw for key suppliers of Poland's first-ever nuclear power plant, which will be comprised of three advanced AP1000® reactors. The training is part of the preparation for the execution phase of the project in Lubiatowo-Kopalino. “The selection of the advanced AP1000 technology represents a 100-year partnership between Poland and the United States, and we are thrilled to leverage impressive suppliers like these to help execute this work that will positively shape generations to come," said Miroslaw Kowalik, president of Westinghouse Poland. Read more about the seven suppliers who attended and what they learned during the workshop's training sessions: https://lnkd.in/eAQjxkZC

Components within #NuclearEnergy reactor vessel internals (RVIs) can degrade over time and we offer an alternative to visual inspections, which typically occur on critical path during a refueling outage. By analyzing "neutron noise" data within the RVI, we can monitor abnormal vibrations from degraded components, including: ✅ Broken shield flexures ✅ Hold down spring relaxation ✅ Wedged loose parts evaluation ✅ Fuel assembly vibration ✅ Contact at lower radial supports ✅ BMI thimble tube vibration and wear Learn more about remote condition monitoring that uses our #NeutronNoise system and can be tailored to meet a utility's needs: https://bit.ly/45UHr6W

Westinghouse is delighted to confirm the submission of our AP300™ SMR into the Great British Nuclear Technology Selection Process. Many congratulations to the Westinghouse team around the world and our partners for completing the next stage of the Great British Nuclear Small Modular Reactor competition – the Submission of Initial Tender. The AP300 SMR is an evolution of our advanced AP1000® reactor, which is now deployed in both China and the United States and licensed in the UK. The pedigree of the AP300 #SMR, its proven technology, and real supply chain base make it and Westinghouse the perfect fit for delivering GBN’s and the UK Government’s important energy security and net zero goals. “This partnership can deliver clean, reliable energy to consumers in the United Kingdom for decades to come, powering a century or more of growth and prosperity in the UK. We are proud to propose our proven APX (AP300 and AP1000) technology, coupled with our skilled UK workforce and more than 75 years of nuclear manufacturing experience in-country, to create a true partnership with Great British Nuclear,” said Dr. Rita Baranwal, Westinghouse Senior Vice President for the AP300 SMR.

Three of our more than 200 summer interns told us what they are working on and what they're excited about during their time at Westinghouse this year. These future engineers are handling really cool projects, from AP1000® and AP300™ design work to data integration. Learn more about our internship and co-op opportunities: https://lnkd.in/ez-EZ_Su

ON THE MOVE: Westinghouse Electric Company is developing this transportable microreactor. eVinci will use advanced heat pipe technology and TRISO fuel to help expand access to clean energy to communities across the world. Westinghouse is one of three companies selected to potentially test its microreactor design at our DOME testbed at Idaho National Laboratory. The front-end engineering and experiment design process supports developers in planning for the design, fabrication, construction, and testing of fueled reactor experiments. Testing in DOME could start as early as 2026 and is being led by our National Reactor Innovation Center Learn more: https://bit.ly/48zw3h5

The two new advanced AP1000® PWR reactors at Plant Vogtle were named “Power Plant of the Year” by POWER magazine, well-deserved recognition for Southern Nuclear, Georgia Power Company and the tremendous effort by thousands of professionals who contributed to the project. Vogtle Units 3 and 4 both came online in the last 12 months. The magazine highlighted the reactors’ awesome performance so far. “Vogtle Unit 3’s initial performance has exceeded our expectations,” John Williams, Southern Nuclear senior vice president for Vogtle 3 and 4, told POWER. “Since it began commercial operation in July 2023, Unit 3 has operated at greater than 98% capacity factor, running at 100% since commercial operation was declared with the exception of a planned five-day maintenance outage.” That exceeds the #NuclearEnergy industry average of 93% capacity! Combined, the two AP1000 reactors are churning out enough clean energy to power 1 million homes. Read the magazine’s profile of the new reactors, which have made Vogtle the largest nuclear power plant in the U.S.: https://lnkd.in/e3w5y6v8

In an industry-first for #NuclearEnergy, we have used additive manufacturing (AM) to fabricate bottom nozzles that improve debris capture and fuel endurance within our fuel assemblies. The nozzles were used in four Lead Test Assemblies delivered to Alabama Power’s Joseph M. Farley Nuclear Plant, which is operated by Southern Nuclear. Read more about our new AM-fabricated bottom nozzle (pictured below) and other recent successes in applying additive manufacturing for nuclear solutions: https://lnkd.in/emzhdHTe

Bringing two new advanced Westinghouse AP1000® reactors online in Georgia in the last 12 months capped years of hard work by thousands of world-class professionals. Plant Vogtle Units 3 and 4 are the first new reactors in the United States in 30 years. Hear from some of our employees as they reflect on the incredible effort in collaboration with Georgia Power, Southern Nuclear, Bechtel and many other partners and suppliers.