GE Lands $1.9 Billion U.K. Nuclear Contract

Written by Martin Lynch, European News Editor for Industrial Info (Galway, Ireland)--General Electric Company (NYSE:GE) (Fairfield, Connecticut) has secured a $1.9 billion contract to supply steam turbines to the Hinkley Point C nuclear power project in the U.K..

The company's Steam Power Systems division, part of GE Power, will deliver a conventional power island comprising the ARABELLE steam turbine, generator, and other critical equipment from French engineering firm Alstom S.A. (Levallois-Perret, France).

Last September, GE's $14 billion takeover of Alstom received the green light from the European Commission (EC). GE had to agree to the sale of some of Alstom's heavy-duty gas turbines (HDGT) business to Italian rival Ansaldo Energia (Genoa, Italy) to avoid antitrust issues. For additional information, see September 14, 2015, article - Europe Clears GE's $14 billion Takeover of Alstom.

The ARABELLE is the largest turbine in operation for the past 10 years, according to GE, and produces 2% more power output than a traditional configuration while maintaining 99.96% reliability rate. Each turbine for Hinkley Point C has a gross generating capacity of 1,770 megawatts (MW).

"With the acquisition of Alstom Power & Grid we're now able to offer a broader portfolio of technology solutions that provide reliable and efficient power for our customers," said Steve Bolze, president and chief executive officer of GE Power. "We are pleased to be working with EDF Energy on Hinkley Point C to help deliver on the U.K. government's vision for energy security and economic development."

Hinkley Point C is the first new nuclear build project in the U.K. for more than a quarter of a century. It will be the first in a new fleet of nuclear power plants planned by companies including EDF and Hitachi Limited (Tokyo, Japan). When commissioned the 3,300-MW project will generate enough power for approximately six million homes throughout the U.K., supplying around 7% of the total electricity demand. The consented project has suffered numerous delays in the past year, but this week the new U.K. government agreed to lift a temporary halt it had imposed in order to carry out an additional review. For additional information, see September 20, 2016, article--U.K. Lifts Block on Hinkley Point Nuclear Project.

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