GE Hitachi Nuclear Energy Announces Ecomagination Approval Earned for Advanced Boiling Water Reactor

Designation Reflects Technology`s Measurable Operating Savings and Environmental
Benefits
WILMINGTON, N.C.--(Business Wire)--
GE Hitachi Nuclear Energy (GEH) today announced that its Advanced Boiling Water
Reactor (ABWR) technology has earned recognition as a GE ecomagination product.

Ecomagination is GE`s corporate-wide initiative to aggressively bring to market
new technologies that will help customers meet pressing operational and
environmental challenges.

The designation underscores the capability of GEH`s nuclear reactor technology
portfolio to meet the demand of consumers and utilities for new energy solutions
that offer operating savings and environmental benefits including mitigating
greenhouse gas emissions associated with power generation.

Following a stringent review by GE and a third party, the Generation III ABWR
has been added to GE`s portfolio of more than 80 ecomagination-certified
technologies. The list also includes the Economic Simplified Boiling Water
Reactor (ESBWR), the Generation III+ design that earned ecomagination
certification in 2007.

GEH offers both the ABWR and ESBWR designs to customers worldwide to meet the
individual needs of energy companies seeking to meet rising energy demand with
low greenhouse gas emission power alternatives. Nuclear energy is one of the few
baseload sources of electricity that create nearly zero CO2 emissions during the
electricity-generation process.

"Our next-generation reactors offer utilities critical and quantifiable
economic, environmental and safety advantages, as well as enhanced plant
performance over previous generations of reactors," said Jack Fuller, GEH
President and CEO. "With numerous countries seeking a larger array of energy
choices that mitigate emissions, we are pleased that both the ABWR and ESBWR
offer measurable examples of the benefits of nuclear energy."

Compared to typical U.S. electricity production, an ABWR or ESBWR would avoid
the annual emission of 6.7 million tons of CO2, equivalent to the annual
emissions of approximately 1.3 million cars. Both reactor technologies are
expected to have 34 to 40% lower operating and maintenance costs per
kilowatt-hour than currently operating Generation I and II nuclear reactors in
the United States. This is primarily because of their increased generating
capacity, as well as increased capacity factor and systems simplifications.

With the 1,350-MW ABWR, GEH has the only shovel-ready Generation III reactor
design available to U.S. utilities, providing customers with additional cost
certainties. GEH`s ABWR technology is the world`s only commercially proven
Generation III reactor design, with successful construction and operational
experience. The first of four ABWRs in service today went online in Japan in
1996, and four additional units are being built. GEH`s global nuclear alliance
offers customers uninterrupted construction experience. Backed by an experienced
global supply chain, GEH plans to apply the latest modular construction
techniques.

GEH obtained certification for the ABWR from the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory
Commission (NRC) in 1997, allowing for construction in the United States. GEH
recently notified the NRC it intends to renew its ABWR license for an additional
15 years beyond 2012, signaling the company`s ongoing commitment to ABWR
technology for customers in the United States and around the globe.

With the 1,520-MW ESBWR, GEH will deploy a Generation III+ technology offering
advantages including passive safety features, a further simplified design and
even higher safety margins than the already safe, deployed U.S. fleet. The ESBWR
currently is progressing in the NRC`s design certification process.

Globally, more than 400 nuclear reactors are in operation, with most considered
older Generation II designs. In a growing number of countries, energy companies
plan to build new fleets of next-generation reactors to meet rising energy
demands and to help mitigate greenhouse gas emissions. In India, for instance,
GEH is pursuing a multi-unit ABWR reactor project to help meet a pressing need
for increased energy output in one of the world`s fastest-growing economies.

About GEH Nuclear Energy

Based in Wilmington, N.C., GEH is a world-leading provider of advanced reactors
and nuclear services. Established in June 2007, GEH is a global nuclear alliance
created by GE and Hitachi to serve the global nuclear industry. The nuclear
alliance executes a single, strategic vision to create a broader portfolio of
solutions, expanding its capabilities for new reactor and service opportunities.
The alliance offers customers around the world the technological leadership
required to effectively enhance reactor performance, power output and safety.

GE Hitachi Nuclear Energy
Ned Glascock, +1-910-819-5729
edward.glascock@ge.com
or
Masto Public Relations
Howard Masto or Tom Murnane, +1-518-786-6488
howard.masto@ge.com
tom.murnane@mastopr.com
or
GE Energy
(Asia-Pacific)
Izumi Shimmura (Ms.), +81-80-3476-5892
izumi.shimmura@ge.com

Copyright Business Wire 2009