Shaw awarded uprate study for AEP's Cook Nuclear Plant

The Shaw Group Inc. on January 14 announced it has been awarded a contract for a feasibility study by American Electric Power (AEP) to support the first phase of a potential two-unit power uprate at the Cook Nuclear Plant near Bridgman, Mich.

Shaw will perform the study to define the feasibility, scope of work and estimated cost to uprate the 2,155-megawatt (MW) plant, providing an anticipated 400-MW increase of electricity. Shaw also will gather, analyze and format plant data for inclusion in the licensing amendment report that will be submitted to the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission for review and approval.

The award also includes a contractual framework to commence negotiations for the engineering, procurement and construction work to be performed during subsequent phases of the project.

“Nuclear plant uprates represent a significant and expanding business for Shaw and a cost-effective way for utilities to meet future electricity demands,” said Fred Buckman, president of Shaw’s Power Group. “Shaw is proud to partner with AEP during the first phase of this project and looks forward to demonstrating our technology and expertise throughout additional phases of the project.”

An established leader in power uprate services, Shaw has performed more than 60 uprate studies and projects which have added more than 3,000 MW to the US power grid. Shaw provides systemwide maintenance and modification services to approximately 35 percent of U.S. nuclear units, including the country’s two largest nuclear fleets.

The undisclosed value of the contract will be included in Shaw’s Fossil, Renewables & Nuclear segment’s backlog of unfilled orders in the second quarter of fiscal year 2010.

The Shaw Group Inc. is a leading global provider of engineering, construction, technology, fabrication, remediation and support services for clients in the energy, chemicals, environmental, infrastructure and emergency response industries. A Fortune 500 company with fiscal year 2009 annual revenues of $7.3 billion, Shaw has approximately 28,000 employees around the world and is the power sector industry leader according to Engineering News-Record’s list of Top 500 Design Firms.