news-power plant simulator contract in SACAE Signs Eskom as First Power Plant Simulation Customer in South Africa
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Toronto, September 12, 2002 (NYSE: CGT; TSX: CAE) – CAE, a world leader in the supply of power plant simulators, today announced it has signed an agreement with South African power utility Eskom Holdings Limited to upgrade the training simulator of its Koeberg nuclear power plant. The C$2 million order – CAE Power Systems and Simulation’s first South African sale – is for the replacement of the simulator's primary legacy computer server and simulation models to increase fidelity and maintainability.
Koeberg Power Station, located at Duynefontein, north of Cape Town, is the only nuclear power station in Africa. Koeberg generates electrical power for the entire Western Cape, one of the fastest growing regions in South Africa. The station’s two reactors began operations in 1984 and 1985, respectively, supplying 1,840 megawatts or 6.5 per cent of South Africa's generating capacity.
The first phase of the project involves upgrading the existing simulation server to a PC with a Linux operating system, replacing a legacy Unix-based Bull DPX2000 computer. Through this first phase, which includes software validation on the new server, CAE will also design a replacement interface for the existing panel I/O system originally supplied by LMT of France.
In the second phase of the project, CAE will replace several of the existing thermal-hydraulics models to improve simulator fidelity. CAE’s COMET™ mathematical model will be used to simulate the physics of the reactor core, generated with the user-friendly CHORUS™, CAE’s graphical reactor core simulation development and update utility. Under the contract, CAE will also replace existing simulation models (Reactor Coolant System, Reactor Coolant Pump, Pressurizer, Pressurizer Relief Tank and Steam Generator) with new models created in ROSE®, CAE's leading edge, component-based, visual simulation environment.
“CAE has established itself as the leader in the provision of nuclear power plant training simulators, and in more recent years has captured several simulator upgrade orders,” stated Rashid Khan, CAE’s Executive Vice President, Marine and Power Systems. “This know-how coupled with CAE’s expertise with French-designed pressurized water reactor (PWR) plants such as Koeberg, position CAE to expand its offerings in other markets where French PWRs are used.”
Eskom Holdings, which was recently converted from state to public ownership, is positioned as a low cost producer, generating more than half of Africa’s electricity and ranking among the top five utilities in the world in terms of size and sales. Eskom supplies 95 per cent of South Africa’s energy requirements, and promotes regional economic growth in South Africa, the surrounding region and the rest of Africa with a presence in almost 30 countries on the continent. Eskom received the 2001 Power & Electric Company of the Year title at the Global Energy Awards ceremony in New York.
CAE is a global leader in providing advanced simulation and controls equipment and integrated training solutions for customers in the marine, military, and civil aviation markets. With annual revenues in excess of $1 billion, CAE employs more than 6,000 people in Canada, the United States and around the globe.
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For more information: Andrew Arnovitz (514) 734-5760 – andrew.arnovitz@cae.com