The nuclear nine

The 3.8 km2 Sellafield site on the Cumbrian coast produces nuclear fuel for electricity as well as stores nuclear waste from several countries a
[More Images]

UME looks at some of the nuclear giants who make the megawatts happen

DOOSAN BABCOCK

Doosan Babcock is an engineering contractor and project integrator for the nuclear industry. It has been involved in the nuclear sector for more than 50 years and  has designed, installed, manufactured and commissioned a wide range of equipment for the power generation market.

The firm is also heavily involved in nuclear decommissioning, and offers full project scoping and management, waste retrieval, conditioning and transport and a range of  support services.

Doosan Babcock is currently working on a scheme at the Sellafield site where in alliance with BNG, is delivering the US$95 million WVP Residue Export facility on budget and on schedule. The company employs over 4,000 staff across the world in more than 150 locations.

It also deals in thermal power, petrochemicals and the oil and gas industries. In the past two years the firm claims it has installed over 23,000MWe of supercritical technology.

GE

GE has provided nuclear energy technology for over five decades. The firm’s nuclear arm is set up into four product lines; new reactors, nuclear fuel, reactor services and performance services. The company invented the boiling water reactor (BWR) and this technology now accounts for more than 90 operating plants in the world today.

Its new products include the advanced boiling water reactor (ABWR) which is the foundation of GE’s nuclear reactor portfolio. Four units that use this technology are currently in operation in Japan. The ABWR combines the best features of the BWR with enhancements such as digital controls. It is licensed in the US, Japan and Taiwan.

Hitachi Nuclear is also part of the GE Group.

The ABWR was the first third generation reactor to begin commercial operation anywhere in the world and boasts a construction time of approximately 39 months from first concrete to first fuel load. Hitachi nuclear is also part of the GE group.

Story continues below

Advertisement

FEATURED COMMENT Please click here to comment on this article

Alstom supply and integrate all the key components of a nuclear power plant, from the turbine generator set to the entire conventional island. The firm designs and delivers integrated ARABELLE solutions for turbine islands of nuclear power plants.

Jonathon Tripp, communications manager of Alstom Power, commented recently: “Nuclear is probably one of the few ways that they will be able to power the UAE with its rapid expansion and phenomenal growth.”

Alstom claim that 30% of nuclear power plants have Alstom turbine-generator sets. It has delivered 180 units worldwide and the concept of the turbine island for large nuclear power plants is one which Alstom promotes heavily.

The firm also offers power generation solutions in other fields including wind and solar power.

OMICRON

Omicron offers testing and diagnostic solutions to the electrical power industry, including nuclear power plants.

Services are offered by the company in the areas of consulting, commissioning, testing, diagnosis and training. The firm’s services are used in more than 130 countries and it has offices in North America, Europe, South and East Asia and the Middle East.

Among the company’s customers are Siemens, ABB and E.ON. It was founded in Austria in 1984 and started up its Middle East office, based in Bahrain, in 2008.

Omicron offers primary testing and diagnosis and testing with communication protocols among other products.Its services include training courses for electric power system technicians and engineers.