Cranberry Township-based Westinghouse Electric Co. has begun a front-end engineering and design (FEED) study for an advanced AP1000 modular reactor at Slovakia’s Jaslovské Bohunice Nuclear Power Plant.
The six-month study is being conducted for Jadrová energetická spoločnosť Slovenska, a wholly owned subsidiary of state-owned Jadrová a vyraďovacia spoločnosť that is responsible for developing Slovakia’s new nuclear plant. The study will advance the project’s engineering, licensing and project planning activities and help advance Slovakia’s strategy to reduce its reliance on foreign energy sources and gain energy independence
A U.S. Department of State Foundational Infrastructure for Responsible Use of Small Modular Reactor Technology Program grant is partially funding the study.
“We thank the Slovak and U.S. governments for their close cooperation on civil nuclear power and for U.S. support in leading the FEED financing,” Petr Brzezina, Westinghouse president of Czech and Slovakia, said. “Not only would an AP1000 plant at Jaslovské Bohunice deliver real economic benefits and high-quality jobs to Slovakia for generations, it can also foster the country’s energy independence.”
The advanced AP1000 reactor is the only operating Generation III+ reactor with fully passive safety systems. It features a modular construction design and the smallest footprint per megawatts of electricity on the market for large-scale reactors.