Nuclear Power Delivery UK has signed new supply agreements with BAE Systems, Doosan Power Systems and Rolls-Royce.

The agreements build on the memoranda of understanding (MOUs) signed by Westinghouse UK and the three top-tier suppliers in September 2008. Westinghouse has subsequently formed the NPD consortium with partners Shaw, Toshiba and Laing O’Rourke.

“The work performed under the earlier MOUs sets the basis for more detailed collaboration as we move forward,” said NPD UK managing director Rita Bowser. “The fact we are now doing this as Nuclear Power Delivery UK means we can bring a clearer team focus to where these major organisations can support us, and allows us all to look at how we can best work together to bring the AP1000 nuclear plant for UK customers as reliably and cost-effectively as possible.”

Details of the MOUs are confidential, but the agreements reinforce Westinghouse’s commitment to ‘buy where we build’. Areas covered by the agreements include manufacturing and components, supply chain and logistics, and engineering support.

Rolls-Royce revealed that it will support NPD in areas of engineering, manufacture and supply of critical components for the heart of the AP1000 reactor system. The group will also explore the provision of nuclear engineering, technical support and supply chain management expertise.

“Today’s agreement builds on the strong relationship that we have developed with Westinghouse and the work we have successfully completed for them,” commented Lawrie Haynes, president of nuclear for Rolls-Royce. “We can now move forward in support of NPD, while maintaining the strategic relationship we have developed with Westinghouse.”

Westinghouse and Rolls-Royce are both founding members of the Nuclear AMRC, and play an active role in our own research and business support programmes.

For more information on the NPD consortium, and to register interest in supplying the AP1000 programme, see http://www.nuclearpowerdeliveryuk.co.uk/

UK nuclear developers Horizon and NuGeneration will choose between the Westinghouse AP1000 and Areva EPR following the conclusion of the government’s Generic Design Assessment later this year. In August 2010, NPD UK signed a preliminary design contract with UK developer Horizon Nuclear Power for Horizon’s proposed new station at Wylfa, North Wales. For more information, see our page on UK new build plans.