Westinghouse Electric Company has announced it signed two instrumentation and control (I&C) system cooperation agreements with China's State Nuclear Power Automation System Engineering Company (SNPAS).

Danny Roderick, president and CEO, Westinghouse Electric Company, and Wang Binghua, chairman, State Nuclear Power Technology Corporation (SNPTC) witnessed the agreement signings that will enable Westinghouse to sustain its Automation and Field Services business growth in China's nuclear energy market.

One of the agreements extends an I&C systems cooperation signed in November 2010 for China AP1000 nuclear plant I&C systems. The extension covers the strategic relationship of Westinghouse and SNPAS in supplying I&C systems for AP1000 new-plant projects into the future.

"Westinghouse is committed to supporting the localization of AP1000 instrumentation and control products through our partnership with SNPAS," said David Howell, senior vice president, Westinghouse Nuclear Automation and Field Services.

"The two parties will continue to work together to enhance the safety and reliability of nuclear power plants while providing world-class instrumentation and controls solutions to our customers."

The second agreement covers I&C systems for future global SNPTC nuclear power plant projects, using designs derived from the AP1000 design by SNPTC. Earlier this year, Westinghouse and SNPTC signed a Memorandum of Understanding covering a broad range of areas of cooperation; this second agreement falls under that strategic nuclear technology partnership.

Mr. Howell commented: "I am pleased to see that we are taking this next step. These agreements indicate that our Chinese partners continue to recognize Westinghouse's leadership role in providing instrumentation and control systems. Such recognition provides Westinghouse with more opportunities to strategically engage in China's nuclear energy program development."

In 2007, Westinghouse, with its partner Chicago Bridge and Iron N.V., successfully won the bid for China's generation three plus (III+) nuclear power projects to build two units of AP1000 reactors in Sanmen, Zhejiang Province and two units in Haiyang, Shandong Province. The construction of the four AP1000 units in China continues to move forward at an impressive pace. The Sanmen Unit 1 is expected to go online in December 2015.