Westinghouse Electric Company has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with South African engineering procurement and construction management company, Sebata Group.

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Westinghouse Electric Company has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with South African engineering procurement and construction management company, Sebata Group.

The agreement is aimed at development of an engineering-led organization that will be involved in a variety of disciplines, Westinghouse said. These include safety, health, environment, risk and quality (SHERQ), authorized inspection agency services, manufacturing quality support, as well as skills development and training in the nuclear industry sector.

The MOU comes in preparation for the potential construction of AP1000 nuclear power plants in South Africa, Westinghouse said. It was signed in the presence of high-ranking government officials from both South Africa and Belgium during a Belgian Economic Mission to South Africa.

"This important agreement with Sebata Group not only reaffirms our pledge to use local talent and resources, but our commitment to develop and support the South African nuclear industry," said François Harari, Westinghouse vice president and managing director for France, Benelux and South Africa.

The MOU follows a March 2013 agreement with South African Nuclear Energy Corporation (Necsa) to investigate and cooperate in the development of local fabrication capabilities for fuel assembly components.

Westinghouse said that it "remains committed" to playing an active role in the electricity generation in South Africa. South Africa is aiming for nuclear power to fuel a fifth of electricity production by 2030 and plans to build 9.6GW of new nuclear capacity.

 


Photo: South Africa’s Koeberg nuclear plant (Source: Philipp P Egli)