Bechtel and Westinghouse Establish Alliance to Pursue Nuclear Decommissioning Work

Industry Leaders Bring Unparalleled Expertise to US Nuclear Power Plant Sites

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Jan 05, 2015, 02:11 ET

RESTON, Va., Jan. 5, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Bechtel announced today a partnership with Westinghouse Electric Company to provide decontamination and decommissioning services for nuclear power plants throughout the United States. Leveraging more than 100 years of combined industry experience, the alliance provides customers a single contracting group to manage and deliver their decommissioning projects.

"Customers can trust that Bechtel and Westinghouse will provide integrated services and solutions to safely decommission, decontaminate, and dismantle a power plant, and prepare the site for other uses," said Michael Graham, general manager of Bechtel's global environmental business. "In the United States, the average age of commercial reactors is some 33 years, and many are approaching the end of their licensing periods. Together, these two companies have the resources, experience, and expertise to deliver the safest and cleanest decommissioning projects."

The alliance will provide a full range of services: pre-shutdown planning, licensing, project development and management, dismantling, demolition, waste handling, and site closeout—with a central focus on the safe and efficient handling of radioactive materials.

"Westinghouse is pleased to join with Bechtel to bring about the most fully-integrated range of decontamination and decommissioning services available to the U.S. nuclear energy market," said Mark Marano, Westinghouse president, Americas. "The deployment of consolidated, proven technologies and processes from this alliance will meet the needs of U.S. nuclear power plants that are coming off-line, ultimately allowing the opportunity to return the land to useable property."

Bechtel has been a leader in the nuclear industry for more than 60 years, having performed services on 88 percent of the U.S. nuclear power fleet. The company has more than three decades of experience in cleanup, decommissioning, remediation, and closure at more than 500 contaminated sites across the world, including nuclear waste facilities in Washington state, New Mexico, Idaho, Tennessee, and South Carolina. Bechtel also performed extensive decontamination and decommissioning work after the accident at the Three Mile Island nuclear power plant in Pennsylvania.

Westinghouse provides fuel, services, technology, plant design, and equipment for the commercial nuclear electric power industry. The company supplied the world's first pressurized water reactor in 1957 in Shippingport, Pennsylvania, and its technology is the basis for nearly half of the world's operating commercial nuclear power plants.

About Bechtel:

Bechtel is among the most respected engineering, project management, and construction companies in the world. We stand apart for our ability to get the job done right—no matter how big, how complex, or how remote. Bechtel operates through four global business units that specialize in infrastructure; mining and metals; nuclear, security and environmental; and oil, gas, and chemicals. Since its founding in 1898, Bechtel has worked on more than 25,000 projects in 160 countries on all seven continents. Today, our 53,000 colleagues team with customers, partners, and suppliers on diverse projects in nearly 40 countries. www.bechtel.com

Media contact:
Fred de Sousa
t. 703 429 6435
[email protected]

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SOURCE Bechtel