Westinghouse Electric Company
Encyclopedia
Westinghouse Electric Company LLC is a nuclear power company, offering a wide range of nuclear products and services to utilities throughout the world, including nuclear fuel
, service and maintenance, instrumentation and control and advanced nuclear plant designs. Owned and operated by the Toshiba Group
, Westinghouse's world headquarters is located in Cranberry Township, Butler County, Pennsylvania
, United States
.
, Westinghouse Electric Company LLC uses the trademarks owned by Westinghouse Electric Corporation, CBS' brand management subsidiary, under license, as it is also the case with other Westinghouse licensees.
, a radio station licensed to Pittsburgh, launched by the original Westinghouse on November 2, 1920, that is now owned by CBS Radio
.
to receive final design approval from the NRC
. Four of these units are currently scheduled to be constructed in China, with the first due to come on-line in November 2013.
, Belgium
, where equipment is prepared for projects throughout Europe. After the takeover of ABB Reaktor in Germany, Westinghouse transferred radiological storage activities located in Ladenburg
, Germany, to the existing site in Nivelles, Belgium, which was extended. Soon after that extension, another expansion followed as employees in the Brussels
office were also transferred to Nivelles. It is estimated that 150 people were working in Nivelles at the end of 2005.
In 2001, Westinghouse took over a company named Logitest in France that specialized in non-destructive inspection of nuclear steam generator plant for EDF. From there Westinghouse started to expand its business in France. The company Westinghouse Electrique France is now located in Orsay
and Marseille
. About 400 employees are now part of Westinghouse in France.
The AP1000 design is widely expected to be one of the two likely reactor designs to be built in the UK, should new reactors be built there.
and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries
and when the Financial Times
reported on January 23, 2006 that Toshiba had won the bid, it valued the company's offer at $5bn (£2.8bn). On February 6, 2006 Toshiba confirmed it was buying Westinghouse Electric Company for $5.4bn and announced it would sell a minority stake to investors.
The sale surprised many industry experts who questioned the wisdom of BNFL selling one of the world's largest producers of nuclear reactors shortly before the market for nuclear power
was expected to grow substantially; China
, the United States
and the United Kingdom
were all expected to invest heavily in nuclear power. However The Economist
gave several reasons in favor of a sale. The commercial risk of the company's business in Asia
may be too high for a company owned by taxpayers. Moreover, if Westinghouse won the bid for any new nuclear stations in a UK competition, questions may be raised of favoritism, but if it lost, it may be seen as a lack of faith in its own Westinghouse technology. Finally, the record of UK governments building nuclear plants had been a commercial disaster.
The acquisition of Westinghouse Electric Company for $5.4 billion was completed on October 16, 2006, with Toshiba obtaining a 77% share and partners The Shaw Group
a 20% share and Ishikawajima-Harima Heavy Industries Co. Ltd. a 3% share. On 13 August 2007 Toshiba sold 10% to Kazatomprom
, the national uranium company for the Republic of Kazakhstan, for US$540 million. Kazatomprom's ownership is entirely passive, with no voting or veto rights or even a presence on the board of directors.
In September, 2011, Toshiba was reported to be in talks to acquire the Shaw stake and both companies confirmed the story soon thereafter. Toshiba is paying US$1.6 Bn for the 20% stake under a Shaw-owned option, Shaw CEO James Bernhard said. Shaw said it was the 50% rise in the yen on its yen-denominated debt over five years which led it to exercise its sale option. The option was part of the 2006 purchase terms. Toshiba said it was open to, and considering, having other partners invest in the business. The purchase brings Toshiba's share in company to 87%.
This long term program is designed to both improve the product the company creates and improve its relationship with those it serves.
, to Cranberry Woods in
Cranberry Township, Butler County, Pennsylvania
. This action was reported in a memo that stated the main reason was due to rapid expansion in the global nuclear industry. The move began in June 2009 and was complete by December 2010; construction began in July 2007.
The Repair, Replacement and Automation Services (RRAS) business segment moved to Cranberry Township earlier than other business segments to help alleviate space issues at the headquarters in Monroeville. The RRAS move was completed in spring of 2008. As part of this early move, Westinghouse piloted the first Commuter Shuttle running on an all-day loop between Monroeville and Cranberry Township.
Nuclear fuel
Nuclear fuel is a material that can be 'consumed' by fission or fusion to derive nuclear energy. Nuclear fuels are the most dense sources of energy available...
, service and maintenance, instrumentation and control and advanced nuclear plant designs. Owned and operated by the Toshiba Group
Toshiba
is a multinational electronics and electrical equipment corporation headquartered in Tokyo, Japan. It is a diversified manufacturer and marketer of electrical products, spanning information & communications equipment and systems, Internet-based solutions and services, electronic components and...
, Westinghouse's world headquarters is located in Cranberry Township, Butler County, Pennsylvania
Cranberry Township, Butler County, Pennsylvania
Cranberry Township is a township in Butler County, Pennsylvania, United States. It is classified as a Second Class Township and follows the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Second Class Township Code. The population was 28,098 as of the 2010 census....
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
.
Westinghouse Electric Corporation
Although not associated with the current CBS CorporationCBS Corporation
CBS Corporation is an American media conglomerate focused on commercial broadcasting, publishing, billboards and television production, with most of its operations in the United States. The President and CEO of the company is Leslie Moonves. Sumner Redstone, owner of National Amusements, is CBS's...
, Westinghouse Electric Company LLC uses the trademarks owned by Westinghouse Electric Corporation, CBS' brand management subsidiary, under license, as it is also the case with other Westinghouse licensees.
KDKA Radio
Westinghouse Electric Company was responsible for being the primary sponsor, in 2010, for the 90th anniversary celebration of KDKAKDKA (AM)
KDKA is a radio station licensed to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA. Created by the Westinghouse Electric Corporation on November 2, 1920, it is one of the world's first modern radio stations , a distinction that has also been challenged by other stations, although it has claimed to be the first in...
, a radio station licensed to Pittsburgh, launched by the original Westinghouse on November 2, 1920, that is now owned by CBS Radio
CBS Radio
CBS Radio, Inc., formerly known as Infinity Broadcasting Corporation, is one of the largest owners and operators of radio stations in the United States, third behind main rival Clear Channel Communications and Cumulus Media. CBS Radio owns around 130 radio stations across the country...
.
History
For further chronological details, see Timeline of company evolutionOriginal Westinghouse history
- 1886: Westinghouse Electric CompanyWestinghouse Electric (1886)Westinghouse Electric was an American manufacturing company. It was founded in 1886 as Westinghouse Electric Company and later renamed Westinghouse Electric Corporation by George Westinghouse. The company purchased CBS in 1995 and became CBS Corporation in 1997...
was founded by George WestinghouseGeorge WestinghouseGeorge Westinghouse, Jr was an American entrepreneur and engineer who invented the railway air brake and was a pioneer of the electrical industry. Westinghouse was one of Thomas Edison's main rivals in the early implementation of the American electricity system...
; first patent filed for a 'System of Electrical Generation" - 1888: George Westinghouse acquired patents from Nikola TeslaNikola TeslaNikola Tesla was a Serbian-American inventor, mechanical engineer, and electrical engineer...
for a polyphase AC system and an induction motor. - 1889: Westinghouse Electric Company changed its name to Westinghouse Electric and Manufacturing Company.
- 1890: Westinghouse installed the first long-distance power transmission lines. They covered 14 miles between Willamette Falls and Portland, Oregon.
- 1891: Westinghouse installed the first high-voltage transmission line connecting San Antonio Canyon with Pomona and San Bernardino, California.
- 1893: Westinghouse lit up Chicago World's Fair with a quarter million lights; demonstrates a polyphase AC generation and distribution system.
- 1894: Westinghouse introduced the first practical polyphase induction motors that could provide convenient power for industry.
- 1900: Westinghouse enterprises employ 50,000 employees; built the first public-utility steam-turbine generator for Hartford (Connecticut) Electric Light Company.
- 1904: Westinghouse formed a six-man industrial research department at an East Pittsburgh lab.
- 1906: Westinghouse formally established a Research Division.
- 1909: Westinghouse introduced the first continuous-filament tungsten light bulb.
- 1910: George Westinghouse retired from the company.
- 1911: Westinghouse introduced a marine geared-turbine drive that powers the U.S.S. Neptune.
- 1914: George Westinghouse dies, his life work including 361 patents and the founding of 60 companies.
- 1915: Westinghouse was among one of the first U.S. companies to establish a pension plan for all employees.
- 1919: Westinghouse built the first U.S.-made diesel-electric marine propulsion plant.
- 1920: Westinghouse established modern broadcasting with station KDKA; demonstrated television in laboratory.
- 1926: Westinghouse developed a grid-glow tube, or "electric eye".
- 1931: Westinghouse electrified S.S. President Coolidge, the largest U.S. merchant ship of its time.
- 1932: Westinghouse announced the Ignitron mercury-arc rectifier.
- 1937: Westinghouse engineers created the first industrial "Atom-Smasher" as centerpiece of nuclear physics research.
- 1945: Westinghouse Electric and Manufacturing Company changed its name to Westinghouse Electric Corporation.
- 1954: Westinghouse built the S2W reactorS2W reactorThe S2W reactor is a naval reactor used by the United States Navy to provide electricity generation and propulsion on warships. The S2W designation stands for:* S = Submarine platform* 2 = Second generation core designed by the contractor...
for the , the world's first nuclear-powered submarine. - 1960: Westinghouse built the A2W reactorA2W reactorThe A2W reactor is a naval reactor used by the United States Navy to provide electricity generation and propulsion on warships. The A2W designation stands for:* A = Aircraft carrier platform* 2 = Second generation core designed by the contractor...
for the , the world's first nuclear-powered aircraft carrier. - 1972: Westinghouse and Newport News Shipbuilding and Drydock jointly formed Offshore Power SystemsOffshore Power SystemsOffshore Power Systems was a 1970 joint venture between Westinghouse Electric Company, which constructed nuclear generating plants, and Newport News Shipbuilding and Drydock, which had recently merged with Tenneco, to create floating nuclear power plants at Jacksonville, Florida.-History:The MH-1A...
to build floating nuclear power plants for Public Service Electric and Gas CompanyPublic Service Electric and Gas CompanyPublic Service Enterprise Group , commonly known as PSEG, and originally known as the Public Service Corporation of New Jersey and then as the Public Service Electric and Gas Company, is a regulated, publicly owned gas and electric utility company in the state of New Jersey, United States. It is...
. - 1984: Offshore Power Systems was shut down after completing none.
- 1995: Westinghouse bought CBSCBSCBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
; began selling off other businesses. - 1996: Westinghouse purchased Infinity Broadcasting; sells its defense electronics business.
- 1997: Westinghouse changed its name to CBS Corporation; sold its non-nuclear power generation unit to Siemens AGSiemens AGSiemens AG is a German multinational conglomerate company headquartered in Munich, Germany. It is the largest Europe-based electronics and electrical engineering company....
, which operated it in the US under the name Siemens Westinghouse Power Generation until 2005. - 1998: CBS Corporation created a new subsidiary company called Westinghouse Electric Corporation to manage the Westinghouse trademarks.
- 1999: CBS Corporation sold its nuclear business to British Nuclear Fuels Limited (BNFL)BNFLBritish Nuclear Fuels Limited was a nuclear energy and fuels company owned by the UK Government. It was a former manufacturer and transporter of nuclear fuel , ran reactors, generated and sold electricity, reprocessed and managed spent fuel , and decommissioned nuclear plants and other similar...
. - 2000: CBS Corporation was merged into Viacom, thus putting an end to the Original Westinghouse. (Five years later, Viacom became CBS Corporation and spunoff its non-broadcasting assets as a new ViacomViacomViacom Inc. , short for "Video & Audio Communications", is an American media conglomerate with interests primarily in, but not limited to, cinema and cable television...
. The current CBS Corporation continues to operate the Westinghouse licensing division today.)
Westinghouse Electric Company's recent history
- 1999: Westinghouse Electric Company officially began operations.
- 2000: the ABB Group's nuclear power business, was purchased by BNFL and merged into Westinghouse.
- 2006: Westinghouse completed acquisition of PaR Nuclear/Ederer Nuclear Cranes, providing fuel and cask handling equipment systems. The company was also sold by BNFL to an investment group led by Toshiba.
- 2007: Westinghouse reached an acquisition agreement for IST Nuclear (ISTN) of IST Holdings. Acquires Carolina Energy Solutions (CES) and its affiliates Aggressive Equipment (AE), now WEC Machining; Construction Institute of America (CIA), now WEC Welding Institute; and Carolina United Services, now Carolina Union Services; acquires Astare, a French nuclear engineering company headquartered near Paris.
- 2009: Westinghouse acquired Nuclear Fuel Industries LTD, Japans sole producer of nuclear fuel for boiling-water and pressurized-water reactors and CS Innovations, LLC, a leading Instrumentation and Control (I&C) nuclear product supplier to the digital I&C safety system upgrade market.
- 2010: Westinghouse announced their involvement in a new, ultra-large forging press in the United Kingdom to be built at Sheffield Forgemasters in Yorkshire; takes a major stake in Springfields fuel site in the United Kingdom which includes a permanent transfer of Springfields Fuel Limited ownership to Westinghouse.
More than 28,000 patents
During the 20th century, Westinghouse engineers and scientists were granted more than 28,000 US government patents, the third most of any company.New Generation of Reactors
A revived interest in the nuclear power generation field led to Westinghouse's development of the AP1000 reactor, the first Generation III+ reactorGeneration III reactor
A generation III reactor is a development of any of the generation II nuclear reactor designs incorporating evolutionary improvements in design developed during the lifetime of the generation II reactor designs...
to receive final design approval from the NRC
Nuclear Regulatory Commission
The Nuclear Regulatory Commission is an independent agency of the United States government that was established by the Energy Reorganization Act of 1974 from the United States Atomic Energy Commission, and was first opened January 19, 1975...
. Four of these units are currently scheduled to be constructed in China, with the first due to come on-line in November 2013.
United States
In the United States, as of January 2009, six AP1000 plants have been ordered, and several other customers have selected the AP1000 as their preferred technology, should they decide to build new nuclear plants. Westinghouse and the AP1000 have been selected as the supplier and technology of choice for a combined total of at least 14 new plants announced by the NuStart Consortium, Duke Power, Progress Energy, Southern Nuclear and SCE&G.Europe
Westinghouse Electric Company has several fully owned subsidiaries in Europe such as the European Service Center (also called Westinghouse Electric Belgium) located in NivellesNivelles
Nivelles is a Walloon city and municipality located in the Belgian province of Walloon Brabant. The Nivelles municipality includes the old communes of Baulers, Bornival, Thines, and Monstreux....
, Belgium
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
, where equipment is prepared for projects throughout Europe. After the takeover of ABB Reaktor in Germany, Westinghouse transferred radiological storage activities located in Ladenburg
Ladenburg
Ladenburg is a town in the district of Rhein-Neckar-Kreis, in Baden-Württemberg, Germany. It is situated on the right bank of the Neckar, 10 km east of Mannheim, and 10 km northwest of Heidelberg.It has an old town from the Late Middle Ages...
, Germany, to the existing site in Nivelles, Belgium, which was extended. Soon after that extension, another expansion followed as employees in the Brussels
Brussels
Brussels , officially the Brussels Region or Brussels-Capital Region , is the capital of Belgium and the de facto capital of the European Union...
office were also transferred to Nivelles. It is estimated that 150 people were working in Nivelles at the end of 2005.
In 2001, Westinghouse took over a company named Logitest in France that specialized in non-destructive inspection of nuclear steam generator plant for EDF. From there Westinghouse started to expand its business in France. The company Westinghouse Electrique France is now located in Orsay
Orsay
Orsay is a commune in the Essonne department in Île-de-France in northern France. It is located in the southwestern suburbs of Paris, France, from the center of Paris.Inhabitants of Orsay are known as Orcéens.-History:...
and Marseille
Marseille
Marseille , known in antiquity as Massalia , is the second largest city in France, after Paris, with a population of 852,395 within its administrative limits on a land area of . The urban area of Marseille extends beyond the city limits with a population of over 1,420,000 on an area of...
. About 400 employees are now part of Westinghouse in France.
The AP1000 design is widely expected to be one of the two likely reactor designs to be built in the UK, should new reactors be built there.
Asia
In the Republic of Korea, Westinghouse has been involved in the construction of new nuclear plants since the 1970s, and is now helping to bring a new plant on line at essentially the rate of one per year. In December, 2006, China’s State Nuclear Power Technology Company selected Westinghouse to provide four new AP1000 nuclear power plants, with the first to come on line in 2013.Africa
Westinghouse is one of the two vendors in the final bidding process for new nuclear plants in South Africa.Sale to Toshiba
In July 2005 BNFL confirmed it planned to sell Westinghouse, then estimated to be worth $1.8bn (£1bn). However the bid attracted interest from several companies, including Toshiba, General ElectricGeneral Electric
General Electric Company , or GE, is an American multinational conglomerate corporation incorporated in Schenectady, New York and headquartered in Fairfield, Connecticut, United States...
and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries
Mitsubishi Heavy Industries
, or MHI, is a Japanese company. It is one of the core companies of Mitsubishi Group.-History:In 1870 Yataro Iwasaki, the founder of Mitsubishi took a lease of Government-owned Nagasaki Shipyard. He named it Nagasaki Shipyard & Machinery Works, and started the shipbuilding business on a full scale...
and when the Financial Times
Financial Times
The Financial Times is an international business newspaper. It is a morning daily newspaper published in London and printed in 24 cities around the world. Its primary rival is the Wall Street Journal, published in New York City....
reported on January 23, 2006 that Toshiba had won the bid, it valued the company's offer at $5bn (£2.8bn). On February 6, 2006 Toshiba confirmed it was buying Westinghouse Electric Company for $5.4bn and announced it would sell a minority stake to investors.
The sale surprised many industry experts who questioned the wisdom of BNFL selling one of the world's largest producers of nuclear reactors shortly before the market for nuclear power
Nuclear power
Nuclear power is the use of sustained nuclear fission to generate heat and electricity. Nuclear power plants provide about 6% of the world's energy and 13–14% of the world's electricity, with the U.S., France, and Japan together accounting for about 50% of nuclear generated electricity...
was expected to grow substantially; China
People's Republic of China
China , officially the People's Republic of China , is the most populous country in the world, with over 1.3 billion citizens. Located in East Asia, the country covers approximately 9.6 million square kilometres...
, the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
were all expected to invest heavily in nuclear power. However The Economist
The Economist
The Economist is an English-language weekly news and international affairs publication owned by The Economist Newspaper Ltd. and edited in offices in the City of Westminster, London, England. Continuous publication began under founder James Wilson in September 1843...
gave several reasons in favor of a sale. The commercial risk of the company's business in Asia
Asia
Asia is the world's largest and most populous continent, located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres. It covers 8.7% of the Earth's total surface area and with approximately 3.879 billion people, it hosts 60% of the world's current human population...
may be too high for a company owned by taxpayers. Moreover, if Westinghouse won the bid for any new nuclear stations in a UK competition, questions may be raised of favoritism, but if it lost, it may be seen as a lack of faith in its own Westinghouse technology. Finally, the record of UK governments building nuclear plants had been a commercial disaster.
The acquisition of Westinghouse Electric Company for $5.4 billion was completed on October 16, 2006, with Toshiba obtaining a 77% share and partners The Shaw Group
The Shaw Group
The Shaw Group is a Fortune 500 corporation headquartered in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. As of February 27, 2011, the company employed approximately 28,000 people all over the world with 7 billion dollar revenue in 2010...
a 20% share and Ishikawajima-Harima Heavy Industries Co. Ltd. a 3% share. On 13 August 2007 Toshiba sold 10% to Kazatomprom
Kazatomprom
Kazatomprom is a state-owned nuclear holding company in Kazakhstan, which operates in the field of Uranium and nuclear fuel cycle services, production of Beryllium, Tantalum and Niobium, and power production...
, the national uranium company for the Republic of Kazakhstan, for US$540 million. Kazatomprom's ownership is entirely passive, with no voting or veto rights or even a presence on the board of directors.
In September, 2011, Toshiba was reported to be in talks to acquire the Shaw stake and both companies confirmed the story soon thereafter. Toshiba is paying US$1.6 Bn for the 20% stake under a Shaw-owned option, Shaw CEO James Bernhard said. Shaw said it was the 50% rise in the yen on its yen-denominated debt over five years which led it to exercise its sale option. The option was part of the 2006 purchase terms. Toshiba said it was open to, and considering, having other partners invest in the business. The purchase brings Toshiba's share in company to 87%.
Customer 1st
In 2003 Westinghouse set out to create a company wide initiative called Customer 1st to change the way the company does business from the inside out. The program is designed around four basic pillars of performance.- Lean ManufacturingLean manufacturingLean manufacturing, lean enterprise, or lean production, often simply, "Lean," is a production practice that considers the expenditure of resources for any goal other than the creation of value for the end customer to be wasteful, and thus a target for elimination...
- A Toyota based system that aims to reduce waste. - Six SigmaSix SigmaSix Sigma is a business management strategy originally developed by Motorola, USA in 1986. , it is widely used in many sectors of industry.Six Sigma seeks to improve the quality of process outputs by identifying and removing the causes of defects and minimizing variability in manufacturing and...
- A Motorola based system that aims to reduce errors in production. - Human Performance - A nuclear industry approach to reducing the frequency and severity of errors by removing error precursors and setting up barriers to error.
- Behavioral Differentiation - A method of changing behavior by changing the drives of those behaviors in order to differentiate ones self from a group.
This long term program is designed to both improve the product the company creates and improve its relationship with those it serves.
Moving to Cranberry Township
After a long period of waiting, Westinghouse finally decided to move its world headquarters from the Energy Center in Monroeville, PennsylvaniaMonroeville, Pennsylvania
Monroeville is a home rule municipality in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, United States. Located about east of the city of Pittsburgh, Monroeville is a bustling suburb with mixed residential and commercial developments...
, to Cranberry Woods in
Cranberry Township, Butler County, Pennsylvania
Cranberry Township, Butler County, Pennsylvania
Cranberry Township is a township in Butler County, Pennsylvania, United States. It is classified as a Second Class Township and follows the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Second Class Township Code. The population was 28,098 as of the 2010 census....
. This action was reported in a memo that stated the main reason was due to rapid expansion in the global nuclear industry. The move began in June 2009 and was complete by December 2010; construction began in July 2007.
The Repair, Replacement and Automation Services (RRAS) business segment moved to Cranberry Township earlier than other business segments to help alleviate space issues at the headquarters in Monroeville. The RRAS move was completed in spring of 2008. As part of this early move, Westinghouse piloted the first Commuter Shuttle running on an all-day loop between Monroeville and Cranberry Township.