Westinghouse says Florida nuclear units to be delayed

NEW DELHI, Feb 3 (Reuters) - Nuclear energy firm Westinghouse Electric, owned by Japan's Toshiba Corp <6502.T>, said regulatory issues would delay the starting of two reactors it is building in Florida by 1-½ to 3 years.

Westinghouse is building the units for Progress Energy , and they were originally planned to have come up in 2018. Work has been delayed as the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) would not allow the utility to start work at the sites before receiving a license.

"They went to the NRC and wanted to have the right to start some work before they got the license, but the NRC told them: no, because it is a green site," Westinghouse Chief Executive Aris Candris told reporters in the Indian capital.

"As a result of that, they have pushed out the schedule for the units, for anywhere between 18 to 36 months from the original."
The two units were expecting to receive a construction and operating license from the regulator in 2011.

By C.J. Kuncheria - Reuters - Feb. 3, 2010
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