World's First Replacement Once Through Steam Generators Arrive in South Carolina
CAMBRIDGE, ON: September 23, 2003 The world's first two replacement Once Through Steam Generators (OTSGs), manufactured in North America by Babcock & Wilcox Canada Ltd. ("B&W Canada"), were delivered in September to Duke Energy's Oconee Nuclear Station in South Carolina.
B&W Canada is manufacturing six replacement steam generators, utilizing B&W's Once Through Steam Generator (OTSG) technology, three replacement reactor vessel closure heads, and related hardware for the plant. "We are proud to once again demonstrate our position as an industry leader by manufacturing and shipping the world's first replacement Once Through Steam Generators," says Rich Reimels, President, B&W Canada. "Outstanding efforts by our employees and teamwork with Duke Energy helped us to deal with scheduling pressures and with many first-of-a-kind challenges to deliver these high quality units to our valued customer."
The original OTSGs were manufactured by B&W in the early 1970s and are being replaced as part of the plant upgrades for licence extension. Several design improvements were made to the replacement OTSGs to minimize susceptibility to tube degradation; enhance reliability, performance characteristics, and water level stability; and better facilitate unit accessibility and maintenance. The main improvements include an all-forged high-strength pressure boundary, Alloy-690 tubing, a conical support stool, high-strength broached and hourglassed tube support plates, and an all-welded, leak tight feedwater system with final-machined interface terminal points all ready-to-fit at site.
Each replacement OTSG weighs approximately 500 tons (including support saddles) and is 73 feet in length. The units are shipped in pairs, with the first pair leaving Cambridge in August, and the second and third pairs scheduled for departure in November 2003 and May 2004. The units ship from Cambridge on special rail cars before being transferred to a heavy lift ship at the Port of Toronto, en route to Charleston, South Carolina. From Charleston, the units are transported to the plant by a combination of rail car and multi-wheeled transport.
Babcock & Wilcox Canada Ltd. serves North American electric utility and industrial markets and the global nuclear utility market. Based in Cambridge, Ontario, it is a wholly-owned subsidiary of The Babcock & Wilcox Company in Barberton, Ohio, which is an operating unit of McDermott International, Inc. (NYSE:MDR). Babcock & Wilcox Canada is located on the internet at www.babcock.com/bwc.
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Media Contacts:
Christine Hurst
Communications Specialist
Babcock & Wilcox Canada
(519) 621-2130 ext. 2417; churt@babcock.com
