Mitsubishi Supplies Replacement Steam Generators for Belgian Nuclear Power Plant

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Researched by Industrial Info Resources (Sugar Land, Texas)--Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Limited (TYO:7011) (MHI) (Tokyo, Japan) has delivered two replacement steam generators to Electrabel SA (Brussels, Belgium), a subsidiary of GDF Suez SA (EPA:GSZ) (Paris, France), for Electrabel's component-upgrade operations at the Doel 1 nuclear power plant in Belgium. The Doel 1 facility, located about 50 kilometers north of Brussels in the vicinity of Antwerp, was commissioned in 1975 and is permitted to continue operations until 2014.

However, Electrabel has embarked on a component-uprate initiative in a bid to reevaluate safety measures and extend the active life of the company's nuclear ventures by another decade. Three of the firm's nuclear power plants have already been outfitted with replacement steam generators from MHI. The Tihange 1 and Tihange 2 nuclear power plants each received three replacement steam generators in 1995 and 2001, respectively, while two units were delivered to the Doel 2 plant in 2004.

The pressurized water reactor (PWR) at the Tihange 1 facility, capable of generating 962 megawatts (MW) of power, commenced operations in 1975. The Doel 2 plant, housing a 430-MW PWR, also began commercial operations in 1975. The 1,008-MW PWR at Tihange 2 became functional in 1983. The Tihange 2 upgrade has since provided a 48-MW augmentation to the plant's capacity. The latest consignment of the two replacement steam generators delivered to the 392.5-MW Doel 1 PWR facility was in response to an order placed with MHI in 2006 as part of Electrabel's upgrade initiative. The order is scheduled for delivery this month.

To date, MHI has supplied 10 of 19 replacement steam generators used at seven nuclear power plants in Belgium. The steam generator is a pivotal component of the reactor that drives the entire thermal energy flow of the reactor. The unit feeds the power generation turbines with steam, while also transferring heat produced within the reactor vessel to a secondary coolant mixture.

The replacement steam generator unit supplied by MHI has a height of 20 meters, weighs about 270 tons, and houses approximately 4,800 heat-transfer tubes made of a special material, TT690, a thermally treated alloy of nickel, chromium and iron, which is capable of withstanding high temperatures and pressures. A main constituent of the heat-tube metal mix, the material offers resistance against stress cracks that are characteristic of these extreme conditions. The external casing of the unit is made from low alloy steel comprising nickel steel, manganese and molybdenum, which again is resistant to high temperatures and pressures that are typical of the core pressurized reactors and their associated coolants.

MHI is the only company in Japan that specializes in the design and manufacture of replacement steam generators, which require high standards of safety and reliability. The company's manufacturing facilities are located at the Kobe Shipyard and Machinery Works. MHI has delivered 28 replacement steam generator units across Europe and North America to date, and about 122 steam generators and replacement steam generators within Japan.

The company hopes to target markets in Europe and North America, where nuclear power stations are nearing replacement stages. In addition to being involved in all phases of nuclear power plant operations, ranging from design and manufacture of PWRs to inspection, installation and post-installation services, MHI is also wants to enter into overseas marketing of nuclear power plant components.

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