Curtiss-Wright Corporation has signed an agreement with China''s State Nuclear Power Technology Corporation (SNPTC) and has reached an agreement in principle with Westinghouse Electric Company LLC to provide reactor coolant pumps for four AP1000 Generation III+ commercial nuclear power plants to be built in China.

The aggregate value of the two agreements, estimated at approximately $285 million, is comprised of two separate contracts, one with Westinghouse in the US for pump hardware and a separate agreement with SNPTC for the technology transfer in China.

Curtiss-Wright Flow Control, part of the diversified Curtiss-Wright Corporation Curtiss-Wright Corporation is a diversified company that makes products for motion control and flow control applications, specialises in the design and manufacture of highly engineered valves, pumps, motors, generators, electronics and related products for the commercial nuclear power industry, oil and gas processing facilities, and a range of critical military programs.

The projects cover the construction of four nuclear power plants in China at sites in Sanmen and Haiyang. The reactors will be Westinghouse''s AP1000 design and will be 1100 megawatts each. CW-EMD has agreed to supply Westinghouse 18 reactor coolant pumps, which will include some localized manufacturing with Chinese partners.

The SNPTC contract is a technology transfer agreement that provides a 15-year license for SNPTC to manufacture reactor coolant pumps exclusively for use on future AP1000 nuclear power plants in China.

"This is the beginning of a dramatic shift in the global approach to increasing energy supply worldwide," said Curtiss-Wright Chairman and CEO Martin R. Benante. "The continued supply constraints and environmental concerns attributed to our current dependence on fossil fuels have led to a reassessment of the value of nuclear technology as the most efficient and environmentally friendly source of energy available today.

In addition, we are very proud to be participating in this nuclear accord with China and with Westinghouse on the AP1000 new advanced nuclear plant design. This effort advances our leadership in this critical technology while meeting the energy needs of the Chinese population."

The US government began working with the Chinese government to support the bid of a US manufacturer in 2004. The department of energy has participated in the development of the AP1000 and its application in the international energy community since inception. In 2005, Westinghouse received nuclear regulatory commission (NRC) design certification and the Chinese contract represents construction of the first standard AP1000 nuclear plant design. Curtiss-Wright is complying with all U.S. laws concerning the export of commercial nuclear power technology.

Curtiss-Wright''s Electro-Mechanical Corporation (CW-EMD), part of its flow control segment, will produce most of the pumps at its Cheswick, PA facility as well as provide local oversight at the customer''s facilities in China.