Forgemasters’ Asian nuclear contracts boosted by Korean order

ENGINEERING firm Sheffield Forgemasters International’s order book has been boosted by a contract worth more than £1m to service South Korea’s latest generation of nuclear power plants.

SFIL has committed to the order with Westinghouse Newington, the specialist pump division of Westinghouse Electric Company (WEC), for components to support primary reactor pumps in South Korea’s Shin Kori power stations.

SFIL will supply eight support skirt castings, which form an integral part of the structure at the heart of the reactor.

The order builds on the previous supply of similar components to the Shin Kori one and two reactors at the Kori plant, located close to South Korea’s largest sea port, Busan.

Shaun Gray, senior sales manager at SFIL’s engineering division, said: “The increase of contracts to the South Korean nuclear power programme is representative of our growing relationship with Westinghouse Electric Company.

“Forgemasters has previously manufactured components for the Shin Kori plant’s one and two OPR-1000 reactors and the current contract for support skirts will supply the more recently constructed APR1400 three and four reactors.”

He added: “We will deliver eight fully assembled support skirts, including final machining, sub assembly and supply of bushes and pins, all of which meet American Society of Mechanical Engineers international standards for civil nuclear construction.

“This is an important order for us as South Korea has a very dynamic civil nuclear power agenda, with nuclear anticipated to supply 60% of the country’s electricity needs within 25 years.”

The Shin Kori three and four power plants, which form the latest stage of this investment programme, are scheduled to go into operation in 2013 and 2014 respectively, with a net capacity of 1350 MWe each.

Delivery of the Forgemasters castings is scheduled for May.

The company’s previous contracts with WEC include the supply of a uniquely designed cast stainless steel pump casing for Westinghouse AP1000TM reactors, currently being supplied to China’s nuclear power programme.

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