Arabelle turbines selected for Polish plant

Arabelle Solutions will supply all three units of the Choczewo nuclear power plant with the steam turbine, generator including auxiliary systems, as well as key equipment of the water steam cycle including the condenser, moisture separator reheaters, low and high-pressure feedwater heaters, and feedwater and deaerating tanks. In a nuclear power plant, heat from the reactor turns water into steam, which spins a turbine and generator to produce electricity.

In total, the half-speed Arabelle steam turbine generator shaftline for the AP1000 will be 68 metres long and includes a combined high/intermediate-pressure module and three double-flow low-pressure modules for improved cycle efficiency. It will be coupled with a hydrogen and water-cooled GIGATOP 4-pole generator synchronised to the 50 Hz Polish grid.

"The selection follows a rigorous procurement process evaluating both technical and financial criteria," Bechtel said. "Arabelle Solutions will adapt its standard steam turbine design for the turbine island at the Choczewo site, with fabrication expected to begin after the Engineering, Procurement and Construction (EPC) agreement for the project is finalised."

"We are proud to partner with Bechtel and Westinghouse Electric Company to deliver the turbine hall equipment for the first nuclear power plant in Poland, contributing to providing reliable, low-carbon electricity to the country," said Arabelle Solutions CEO Catherine Cornand. "This project reflects both the trust of our partners and the commitment of our teams to carry forward our long-standing expertise and legacy of innovation to meet the world's growing energy needs."

Ed Gore, Project Director, Poland AP1000 Project, Bechtel, said: "Arabelle Solutions brings deep regional capabilities and provides opportunities for Polish producers to participate in this project. We are proud to apply Bechtel's world-class construction expertise to support the energy transition of Poland."

Dan Lipman, President of Westinghouse Energy Systems, added: "The choice of Arabelle Solutions for the project's steam turbine generator is a strong complement to the AP1000 reactor. Having such a major European supplier involved in the project underscores Westinghouse-Bechtel consortium 'Buy Where We Build' philosophy and our commitment to having Polish companies participating throughout the entire project."

"We have chosen a partner who guarantees experience, and above all reliability and a wide chain of suppliers - largely Polish," said Marek Woszczyk, President of the Management Board of Polskie Elektrownie Jądrowe (PEJ).

In November 2022, the then Polish government selected Westinghouse AP1000 reactor technology for construction at the Lubiatowo-Kopalino site in the Choczewo municipality in Pomerania in northern Poland. An agreement setting a plan for the delivery of the plant was signed in May 2023 by Westinghouse, Bechtel and PEJ - a special-purpose vehicle 100% owned by Poland's State Treasury. The Ministry of Climate and Environment in July 2024 issued a decision-in-principle for PEJ to construct the plant. The aim is for Poland's first AP1000 reactor to enter commercial operation in 2033. The total investment costs of the project are estimated to be about EUR42 billion (USD47 billion).

EDF completed its acquisition of a portion of GE Vernova's nuclear conventional islands technology and services - including its Arabelle steam turbines - in May 2024. The transaction included the manufacturing of conventional island equipment for new nuclear power plants as well as related maintenance and upgrade activities for existing nuclear plants outside of the Americas. EDF's acquisition of the business - at that time, known as GE Steam Power - was first announced in early 2022 and the final agreement was signed in the November of that year.