The worldwide demand for electricity is growing at an exponential rate. Over the next decade it is projected by some sources to increase by 2.6 per cent per year, from 14 275 billion kilowatt-hours in 2002 to 21 400 billion kilowatt-hours in 2015.

According to the Uranium Information Centre Ltd in Melbourne, Australia, the demand for primary energy in East Asia will grow by 5 per cent between now and 2010, while the need for electricity will increase 7 to 8 per cent annually.

In China alone power generation requirements are forecast by some to almost double from 1994 to 2010, with much of the need being met by nuclear power generation. According to China’s State Electricity Regulatory Commission more than 120 GW of generating capacity is currently under construction: however, not until 2007 is generating capacity likely to catch up with demand in most areas. Despite this growth in capacity blackouts and power rationing have become a major issue in many of China's provinces, particularly during the peak summer period, when demand for air conditioning is highest.

In the United States there is a strong concern about the country’s reliance on foreign oil and the rising costs of other fuel sources. Nuclear power generation is emerging as a safe, clean and cost-effective alternative to more traditional fuel sources. As a leading industry player Westinghouse Electric Company is focused on delivering improved performance, reliability and efficiency with existing and new nuclear energy plants worldwide by providing fuel, services, technology, plant design and equipment for the commercial nuclear electric power industry. In addition it is working with the US government to reduce the capital costs of new plants so that they can be more competitive in the energy marketplace.

The company's technology is the basis for nearly half of the world's operating commercial nuclear power plants. Westinghouse's newest Nuclear Regulatory Commission design-certified plant offering, the AP1000, was designed using Intergraph products. The AP1000 is a pressurised water reactor (PWR) with innovative, passive safety features and a much simplified design intended to reduce the reactor's material and construction costs while improving operational safety.

Intergraph’s plant design software PDS, along with MicroStation, was used to do plant 3D modelling. Two-dimensional drawings are extracted from the 3D model, while ISOGEN is used to create the isometric drawings. Initially, PDS 2D was used for the P&IDs (plant and instrumentation diagrams) for the AP600, predecessor to the AP1000. They were converted to Intergraph's SmartPlant P&ID environment during revisions for the AP1000 reactor. SmartPlant Explorer, a companion Intergraph product, is used to review intelligent P&IDs. The SmartPlant Review suite has been used to review the plant in an integrated fashion, and also for constructability. The benefits of 3D visualisation do not have to end with engineering and construction of a plant. The 3D models and data generated by visualisation tools can be used as part of training, operations and maintenance, realising both cost- and time-saving benefits.

The AP1000 has been developed to provide a high degree of public safety and licensing certainty, and draws upon more than 40 years of experience in light water reactor components and technology. While clearly advanced in its application of passive safety features, the AP1000 is still based on the same Westinghouse PWR technology that has accumulated thousands of reactor-years of operation internationally since the first PWR went online in Shippingport, Pennsylvania (USA) in 1957.

The AP1000’s predecessor, the AP600, was designed with input from more than 30 engineering organisations from around the world. The AP1000 also had international collaborators. Previously, the collaboration was performed at each organisation, and integrated into Westinghouse's controlling model by manual integration. Since that time, Intergraph products have become more capable of workshare and collaboration. They enable Westinghouse to perform detailed design work around the world, while the modular design of the plants allows suppliers to work globally, with plant pieces then fitted together on-site.

The time seems right for the US to renew its focus on nuclear power generation, and a number of utilities have already submitted applications to the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission in preparation for building a plant. The Energy Policy Act of 2005 focuses on lowering the country’s foreign and fossil fuel dependence, with many significant incentives intended to grow the US nuclear industry.

More and more political, business and environmental leaders are speaking out on the advantages of nuclear power. In an article published on April 14, 2006 in The Washington Post, Greenpeace co-founder Patrick Moore says: “Nuclear energy may just be the energy source that can save our planet from another possible disaster: catastrophic climate change.” He continues, “More than 600 coal-fired electric plants in the United States produce 36 per cent of US emissions – or nearly 10 per cent of global emissions – of CO2, the primary greenhouse gas responsible for climate change. Nuclear energy is the only large-scale, cost-effective energy source that can reduce these emissions while continuing to satisfy a growing demand for power. And these days it can do so safely.”

In 2001, the nuclear energy industry announced its goal of preserving the existing percentage of America's emission-free electricity, while at the same time adding new electricity generation: specifically, having enough new nuclear power plants either ordered, under construction or already built to provide 50 000 MW of additional electricity-generating capacity to the US power grid by 2020.

It’s imperative to plan for rather than react to increases in future energy requirements. Among the utility companies considering expanding their nuclear capabilities are South Carolina Electric & Gas (principal subsidiary of SCANA Corporation), Duke Power, Progress Energy and the team of Southern Company and Georgia Power. Late last year, NuStart, the nation's largest consortium of nuclear power companies, selected TVA’s Bellefonte nuclear plant site for a combined construction and operating license (COL) application for the AP1000.

In the past, the high cost and long term build-out schedules for nuclear power plants discouraged many countries from focusing on this type of power generation. By using modular construction methods, Westinghouse and its project partners will be able to build a plant in 36 months – or 25-50 per cent of the construction time taken for many other nuclear plants. Using Intergraph’s SmartPlant Review software Westinghouse shortened the construction cycle, ensuring the buildability of the plant as designed and using the model as an informational tool for both technical and non-technical audiences.

The price of fossil fuels, pending clean air regulations and increasing concerns about dependence on overseas oil suppliers will continue to encourage renewed interest in nuclear power generation – and technology now allows significant cost reductions in plant construction, as well as streamlined build-out time and licensing procedures.

Jill Clelland is information management lead for passive plant development at Westinghouse Electric Co. LLC.