Luminant forms Comanche Peak nuke JV with MHI

6 February 2009


Mitsubishi Heavy Industries says that the creation of a joint venture with Luminant to develop two new nuclear power reactors in the USA is an important step forward in the companies’ relationship and in the development of the projects.

The two companies have formed Comanche Peak Nuclear Power Company, which will be 88 per cent owned by Luminant and 12 per cent by MHI, to further the development of Comanche Peak Units 3 & 4 in Texas. The project is currently undergoing the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission’s licensing procedure.

“The establishment of this joint venture will cement and define the relationship between both companies and this is an important step forward into achieving construction and operation of the US-APWR at Comanche Peak,” said Hiroshi Inoue, executive officer and senior vice president of MHI’s nuclear energy systems headquarters.

Dallas-based Luminant selected MHI’s US-APWR as the technology of choice for the Comanche Peak project in 2007. It then submitted a Combined Operating Licence (COL) application for the plant to the NRC in September 2008.

The new joint venture will fund development costs for the project before the COL is issued.

MHI’s US-APWR design certification application is currently being reviewed by the NRC. The Japan-based firm established Mitsubishi Nuclear Energy Systems (MNES) in 2006 to introduce and market the US-APWR technology in the US.

“The establishment of the joint venture between MHI and Luminant will allow the Comanche Peak project to move forward as economically and efficiently as possible,” said Frank Gillespie, senior vice president, new plant technology, of MNES. “By having a single joint venture entity managing the COL and funding the project development costs, we can be the most responsive to requests by the NRC and other agencies as the process moves forward.”

Luminant and MHI are planning to seek financial support for the Comanche Peak project from the US and Japanese governments.




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