Special methods of Westinghouse technologies promotion on the foreign markets

As is generally known, American company "Westinghouse" has signed on the 30th of May 2008 a contract with the Ukrainian "Energoatom" for delivery of the fresh fuel for at least three power units within the period from 2011 to 2015.

"Westinghouse" international contracts always attract special attention. The reason is that this company has a long record of "untraditional" promotion methods of its technologies.

In 1996 in Czech Republic broke out a scandal after the journalists of the newspaper "Mlada Fronta Dnes'" had received information about the bribing of the Czech officials, which had been taking part in the decision-making process regarding some tenders, where "Westinghouse" had participated, including "Temelin" NPP.

So, while choosing a nuclear fuel supplier for the "Temelin" NPP, American secret agent J.V. managed to receive confidential detailed information about the proposals of the competing companies. It put "Westinghouse" in the preferred position and gave this company a chance to win a tender on the best terms.

J.V.'s name was mentioned several times in Czech press. It appeared to be a certain Yan Vadleih alias "Mountain" alias "Alpinist". Czech counter-intelligence officers, which launched the investigation of this case were amazed to find out that they were dealing not with the ordinary businessman, but with the experienced and well-trained secret service agent.

Czech security officers revealed the Vadleih relations with CIA, though investigation of this case was stopped because of the political decision of Prague not to put obstacles in the way of NATO-members' intelligence service agents. Characterizing Vadleih, Czech newspaper "Hospodarske noviny" wrote: "He has never been concealing, that he had been hired to implement a dirty job. His pockets were always literally full of thousands of korunas."

But Czech Republic was not the first country where "Westinghouse" gained contracts using "special" methods. In 1988 the Philippines sued the American nuclear company.Competent newspaper New-York Times in the issue from the 2nd of December 1988 informed: "The Philippines sued the Westinghouse Electric Corporation and a New Jersey engineering firm today, accusing them of bribing former President Ferdinand E. Marcos to win a contract to build a nuclear power plant near Manila."

The Philippine authorities sued in order to recover the damages against "Westinghouse". The $2.3 billion NPP "Bataan" (this is the price of the early eighties!) was completed in 1984, but has never been operated. The reasons for that were an improper design and a poor construction work.

The nuclear reactor was built on the side of a volcano near an earthquake fault. Such a strange choice has become the center of a bitter political dispute in the Philippine society.

As it was revealed later, before signing the contract "Westinghouse" had hired Erminio Disini, a close friend of the President Marcos. Westinghouse paid Mr. Disini at least $17.3 million, which was shared with President Marcos. Building contract was naturally signed, meanwhile the original prize of the reactor ($500 million) was suddenly increased up to $2.3 billion.

NPP "Bataan" has not generated a single kilowatt-hour of electricity till nowadays, but the Philippines are still paying interests on credits, taken for its construction.

"Westinghouse" successfully continues developing its nuclear business and thinks over the new markets for its technologies.

SOURCE: AtomInfo.Ru

DATE: April 20, 2008

Topics: NFC, Westinghouse