Rolls-Royce signs 20 year nuclear services contract with CEZ

Rolls-Royce, the global power systems company, has been awarded a contract to provide long-term, safety-critical services to the Dukovany nuclear power plant in the Czech Republic, operated by CEZ a.s.

Rolls-Royce has been working alongside CEZ since 2000. The signing of this new 20 year contract, to provide life-cycle management services, follows the successful delivery of Rolls-Royce safety instrumentation and control (I&C) systems to Dukovany as part of a major refurbishment project. That project, involving the upgrade of crucial I&C systems over a nine year period, was delivered to cost and schedule with no loss of electrical output.

Benoit Chabre, Rolls-Royce, Managing Director - Instrumentation & Control, said: “Rolls-Royce is able to draw on over 40 years of experience in the nuclear industry and this long-term agreement demonstrates the trust CEZ has in our expertise. We understand the regulatory requirements and commercial pressures a utility faces and our solutions help to ensure that the plant is operating safely, while maximizing long-term reliability and availability.”

Daniel Beneš, ČEZ Deputy Chairman, said: “CEZ has been working successfully with Rolls-Royce technology for a number of years at Dukovany, and this long-term contract that we have now signed is a natural development in our business partnership. Life-cycle management is a key aspect of nuclear power plant operation, and it is vital to work with strong and reliable partners such as Rolls-Royce.”

The provision of life-cycle management services helps customers to manage total cost and reduce operational risk through the proactive monitoring of system operation, ensuring on-demand availability of parts, providing technical assistance and support services.

Rolls-Royce, a leading global provider of digital instrumentation and control solutions for nuclear power plants, has become increasingly active in Central Europe’s growing civil nuclear sector. The company has delivered projects to Bulgarian, Czech, Lithuanian, Romanian, Slovak and Ukraine nuclear power industries.

1. Rolls-Royce is a world-leading provider of power systems and services for use on land, at sea and in the air, and has established a strong position in global markets - civil aerospace, defence aerospace, marine and energy.
2. As a result of this strategy, Rolls-Royce has a broad customer base comprising more than 500 airlines, 4,000 corporate and utility aircraft and helicopter operators, 160 armed forces, more than 2,500 marine customers, including 70 navies, and energy customers in nearly 120 countries, with an installed base of 54,000 gas turbines.
3. Annual underlying revenues were £10.8 billion in 2010, of which more than half came from the provision of services. The firm and announced order book stood at £59.2 billion at 31 December 2010, providing visibility of future levels of activity.
4. Rolls-Royce employs 39,000 skilled people in offices, manufacturing and service facilities in over 50 countries. Over 11,000 of these employees are engineers.
5. In 2010, Rolls-Royce invested £923 million on research and development, two thirds of which had the objective of further improving the environmental performance of its products, in particular reducing emissions.
6. Rolls-Royce supports a global network of 28 University Technology Centres, which connect the company’s engineers with the forefront of scientific research.
7. The Group has a strong commitment to apprentice and graduate recruitment and to further developing employee skills.
8. Rolls-Royce delivers wide-ranging capabilities across the nuclear cycle from concept to through-life and life-extension. With nuclear expertise including component manufacturing, licensing, project management, supply chain management as well as world-class engineering, the company has been a key player in the nuclear industry for over 50 years.
9. Rolls-Royce is a world leader in the delivery of Safety I&C systems, with more than 40 years of successful operation in 104 nuclear reactors worldwide. Rolls-Royce digital I&C solutions are designed to simplify operation and maximise safety performance.
10. A third signatory to this contract is I&C Energo, a.s., a subsidiary of MOL Oil & Gas Plc of Hungary.