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This article has been updated to include details of a further Chinese contract awarded to Flowserve, this time forÌývalves for use inÌýthe first two EPRs at Taishan.

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Flowserve of the USA has finalized its joint venture agreement with China's SUFA Technology Industry Co Ltd to produce safety-related valves, one of the few component areas lacking in the Chinese supply chain.

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A valve for nuclear power plant applications (Image: Flowserve)

In March 2009, Flowserve and SUFA - a subsidiary of China National Nuclear Corp (CNNC) and the largest valve manufacturer in China - agreed to form the joint venture called SUFA-Flowserve Nuclear Power Equipment Co Ltd. The new firm was to be based in Suzhou, Jiangsu province and 51% owned by SUFA and 49% by Flowserve. That agreement formalized a memorandum of understanding signed between Flowserve and SUFA in November 2007.

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In a statement, Flowserve said, "Since the initial announcement, both parties have been actively working to complete the amendment, which has now been finalized and clarifies the path forward for the joint venture."

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The two partners have now signed the amendment to the joint venture agreement, under which SUFA's ownership share will be increased to 55%, while Flowserve will take 45%.

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As part of the agreement, both companies will supply nuclear power industry valve technology and jointly construct a manufacturing facility. The joint venture will manufacture safety-related valves, including main steam isolation valves (MSIVs), exclusively for China's nuclear power industry. MSIVs are used to assist in the safe shutdown of a reactor in the unlikely event of a rupture in the plant's main steam piping.

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Jiangang Qiu, vice president of CNNC and chairman of SUFA, commented: "This amendment will satisfy the Chinese government's nuclear power development strategy, and will make this joint venture a successful nuclear valve manufacturer in China."

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Ìý Taishan contract for Flowserve Ìý Flowserve announced that it has also been awarded a contract by SNPEC to supply safety-related valves for units 1 and 2 of the Taishan nuclear power plant under construction in Guangdong province. Ìý Under the contract, Flowserve will supply the MSIVs, the main feedwater isolation valves (MFIVs) and the feedwater motor-operated valves for the units. Ìý Taishan 1 and 2 are the first two reactors based on Areva's EPR technology to b built in China. They are due to start operating in 2013 and 2014, respectively. Ìý

Last month, Flowserve announced an order worth over $15 million from China's State Nuclear Power Engineering Company Ltd (SNPEC) for valves and actuators for the Sanmen and Haiyang unit 2 Westinghouse AP1000 reactors. This order follows various others placed with the company by Westinghouse for valves for the Chinese plants, the most recent being orders for motor-operated valves for Sanmen and Haiyang unit 1 placed at the end of 2008.

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In October 2009, Flowserve was awarded a "multi-million dollar" order from Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power (KHNP) for the MSIVs and feedwater isolation valves for units 3 and 4 of its Shin-Kori nuclear power plant. The units are the first to be constructed using KHNP's new APR-1400 reactor design.

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Researched and written

by ¶¶Òõ´«Ã½ÔÚÏß Nuclear News

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