Westinghouse Electric Company

Westinghouse is nearing the completion of an almost decade long effort to provide a nuclear fuel alternative to Ukraine to assist in the creation of energy diversity and security for the country.  It is the expectation that a long-term fuel supply contract will be completed by the first quarter of 2008 between Westinghouse and Ukrainian nuclear generator Energoatom.

Key Benefits of Westinghouse Nuclear Fuel Supply

* As there are no other potential fuel providers in the world for Ukrainian-type reactors, Westinghouse represents the sole option to ensure security of supply in cases of poor fuel performance of the existing fuel provider or unimpeded price demands due to having no competitive threat. 

* Westinghouse has designed and manufacturing fuel for 8 different reactor types throughout the world and have successfully entered as a second supplier in Germany, Spain, Switzerland, France, Taiwan, South Africa and Belgium.  Westinghouse has full confidence in its ability to also include Ukraine on this list. 

* Westinghouse fuel performance globally has a substantially better history than any other manufacturer in the absence of fuel failures (leakers).  In addition, its fuel design allows for the repair of a failed fuel rod to permit further energy generation – saving Ukraine millions of dollars it has lost historically with the current fuel in use which has not allowed repair. 

* The Westinghouse fuel also is designed to consume less uranium, allowing Ukraine to lower its overall costs in energy production, maximize its domestic uranium reserves and lower the quantity and costs associated with spent fuel compared to the current fuel provider

* Ukraine is intending to follow the same model as France which also provided a contract to Westinghouse against its indigenous state-owned fuel producer to create competition which led to overall price decreases and performance improvements.  Westinghouse just increased its overall fuel deliveries by 50 percent (18) reactors due to the success of this competition. 

* Westinghouse pledges to work with Ukraine in developing its own domestic capabilities in fuel production.  Also, Ukraine may benefit through the potential supply of Westinghouse’s global needs as its nuclear plant designs represent roughly half the world’s operating plants and is considered to have the next standard design for future needs – the AP1000. 

Additional Westinghouse Interests in Ukraine

Westinghouse has effectively cooperated, with additional assistance from the US Government, to provide the most advanced nuclear safety systems available for Ukraine’s fleet.  It now wishes to pursue reactor power uprates and capacity increases of the existing units and to offer its AP1000 reactor design for new generation.  2008 will be the start of these efforts alongside the completion of the fuel program.