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| June 27, 2005 No.1064 | ||
| MHI Ships 10th Replacement Reactor Vessel Closure Head (RRVCH) For Westinghouse Nuclear Power Plant of Alabama Power Co. in the U.S. |
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| Tokyo, June 27, 2005 -- Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd. (MHI) has shipped a replacement reactor vessel closure head (RRVCH) to be used at the Joseph M. Farley Nuclear Plant Unit 2 of Alabama Power Co. in Alabama, U.S.A. The order was placed in February 2003 to replace key equipment at the nuclear plant in order to extend its operational lifespan. Since 2002, MHI has received many orders and delivered RRVCHs for the Westinghouse nuclear power plants. The latest delivery marks 10th delivery of the kind. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
The newly shipped RRVCH is made of low-alloy steel and has a diameter of 5 meters. The overall structure, including 48 stainless-steel control rod drive mechanisms (CRDM) mounted to it, measures 10 meters in height and weighs roughly 70 tons. CRDMs are devices that play a key role in the safe and stable operation of nuclear power plants. They enable control of thermal output from the reactor by precisely inserting the control rods into the reactor core during regular operation. In the unlikely event of a system malfunction, CRDMs promptly insert the control rods into the reactor core to achieve emergency shutdown. This RRVCH was manufactured at MHI's Kobe Shipyard & Machinery Works. Installation work is not included in the contract. In the U.S., the operational life extension of nuclear power plants is gradually taking root in the industry, as illustrated by the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission's approval of 20-year extensions of operational licenses. The move is generating robust replacement demand, resulting in active orders to MHI for major nuclear power plant equipment. Since its first shipment of RRVCH for the Surry Power Station Unit 2 of Dominion Generation in Virginia in August 2003, MHI has carried out all deliveries in time, and the equipment is operating smoothly. The order for the RRVCH for Farley Unit 2 was placed with MHI based on the customer's high evaluation of the proven performance of MHI and its delivered products. As replacement demand expands in the nuclear plant equipment market, MHI has received a string of orders by having cooperation from Westinghouse and established its solid position as a major supplier to the U.S. market. On the strength of its success in the American market, going forward MHI will further step up its marketing activities for nuclear plant equipment in other countries as well. # # #
RRVCHs for Westinghouse Nuclear Power Plants Delivered by MHI
About Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd. (MHI), headquartered in Tokyo, Japan, is one of the world's leading heavy machinery manufacturers, with consolidated sales of 2,373 billion yen in fiscal 2003 (year ended March 31, 2004). MHI's diverse lineup of products and services encompasses shipbuilding, steel structures, power plants, chemical plants, steel plants, environmental equipment, industrial and general machinery, aircraft, space rocketry and air-conditioning systems. For more information, please visit the MHI website (http://www.mhi.co.jp). PRESS CONTACT: Hideo Ikuno: h.ikuno@daiya-pr.co.jp Tel: +813-6716-5277, Fax: +813-6716-5929 Daiya PR (in charge of public relations for Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd.) |
