Empresas y finanzas

Shaw Announces Plan to Join Toshiba Corporation in Acquisition of Westinghouse



    The Shaw Group Inc. (NYSE: SGR):

    -- Shaw to acquire 20% interest in Westinghouse Acquisition
    Companies for $1.08 billion

    -- Shaw to raise $1.08 billion through private placement of
    Yen-denominated limited-recourse bonds

    -- Shaw to establish Commercial Agreements with Westinghouse for
    Nuclear Services

    -- Shaw to increase its revolving Credit Facility

    The Shaw Group Inc. (NYSE: SGR) announced today that, through a
    100% owned special purpose acquisition subsidiary, Nuclear Energy
    Holdings, L.L.C. ("NEH"), it will join with Toshiba Corporation
    ("Toshiba") to acquire Westinghouse Electric Company ("Westinghouse").
    Earlier in the year, Toshiba was declared the successful bidder to
    acquire Westinghouse from British Nuclear Fuels Limited for $5.4
    billion. Toshiba has formed two acquisition companies (a U.S. entity
    and a U.K. entity - together, the "Westinghouse Acquisition
    Companies") for the purpose of making the acquisition. At closing,
    expected to occur in October, 2006, Toshiba will own 77% of each of
    the Westinghouse Acquisition Companies, NEH 20%, and
    Ishikawajima-Harima Heavy Industries Co., Ltd ("IHI") 3%. NEH's
    participation in this transaction is conditioned upon successful and
    timely closing of a $1.08 billion private placement bond financing and
    other customary closing conditions.

    NEH intends to finance its acquisition with funding it is seeking
    to raise through a private placement of Japanese Yen-denominated bonds
    (the "Bonds") with an approximate principal amount of $1.08 billion,
    currently being marketed in Japan and outside the U.S. These
    limited-recourse Bonds are expected to have a term of approximately
    6.5 years. In connection with the acquisition, NEH will have an option
    to sell all or part of its 20% ownership interest in the Westinghouse
    Acquisition Companies to Toshiba prior to the maturity of the Bonds.
    The Bonds will be secured by the assets of and 100% of the membership
    interests in NEH, its shares in the Westinghouse Acquisition
    Companies, along with the corresponding Toshiba option, a $36 million
    letter of credit established by Shaw for the benefit of NEH (the
    "Principal LC") and the Interest LCs (described below). The Bonds will
    have no further recourse to Shaw. In connection with the issuance of
    the Bonds, Shaw will establish one or more letters of credit for the
    benefit of NEH (the "Interest LCs") in an aggregate amount to cover
    Bond interest payments for a specified period and certain other
    transaction costs and expenses. The initial Interest LC is expected to
    be approximately $91 million in the aggregate to cover interest until
    the beginning of the option period, although the exact amount will
    depend upon the Yen coupon rate of the Bonds. Other than the Principal
    LC and the Interest LC delivered at the closing of the Bonds, Shaw is
    not required to provide any additional letters of credit or cash to or
    for the benefit of NEH.

    In addition, in connection with the Westinghouse transaction, Shaw
    will execute a Commercial Relationship Agreement which provides Shaw
    with certain exclusive opportunities to perform engineering,
    procurement and construction services on future Westinghouse AP 1000
    Nuclear Power Plants, along with other commercial opportunities, such
    as the supply of piping for those units. Westinghouse technology forms
    the basis for 63 of 104 licensed reactors in the United States and
    roughly half of those worldwide. Westinghouse's AP1000 passive
    Generation III design, has obtained Design Certification from the
    United States Nuclear Regulatory Commission and is the current
    technology selection for 10 proposed new units in the U.S.
    Westinghouse and Shaw are consortium partners in proposing the AP1000
    technology for 4 new reactors expected to be built in China. Shaw has
    performed as architect-engineer on 17 nuclear units and is currently
    completing the construction restart of the Browns Ferry Unit 1 in
    Alabama for the Tennessee Valley Authority.

    Shaw has received approval from its lenders to amend its revolving
    credit agreement to allow for the investment in Westinghouse and to
    allow for an increase in the facility from its current $750 million to
    up to $1 billion. The company expects to make effective $100 million
    of the approved increase, thus increasing the capacity of the facility
    to $850 million, in conjunction with this amendment. Subject to
    outstanding amounts, the entire credit facility, as amended, would be
    available for performance letters of credit, and up to $525 million
    would be available for revolving credit loans and financial letters of
    credit until November 30, 2007, and $425 million thereafter. The
    amendment and increase will be effective upon closing of the
    Westinghouse transaction.

    The bonds described above will not be or have not been registered
    under the U.S. Securities Act of 1933 and may not be offered or sold
    in the United States absent registration or an applicable exemption
    form registration requirements.

    Toshiba, a world leader in high technology, is a diversified
    manufacturer and marketer of advanced electronic and electrical
    products spanning information & communications equipment and systems,
    digital consumer products, electronic devices and components, power
    systems, industrial and social infrastructure systems, and home
    appliances. Under its mid-term business plan, Toshiba is promoting
    initiatives for sustained growth that will support its continued
    development as a highly profitable group of companies active in both
    high growth and stable growth businesses. Toshiba has 172,000
    employees worldwide and annual sales of over US$54 billion. Visit
    Toshiba's web site at www.toshiba.co.jp/index.htm

    Established in 1853, IHI is one of Japan's leading heavy apparatus
    manufacturers, active in domains as diverse as airplane engines, power
    generation plants, and shipbuilding. Toshiba and IHI have a long
    established business relationship, especially in the nuclear power
    plant businesses. IHI manufactured and supplied reactor pressure
    vessels for all the BWR nuclear power systems in Japan where Toshiba
    was the prime contractor. Toshiba will continue to reinforce its
    relationship with IHI, seeking to extend their successful track record
    to the global market.

    Westinghouse Electric Company is the world's pioneering nuclear
    power company and is a leading supplier of nuclear plant products and
    technologies to utilities throughout the world. Today, Westinghouse
    technology is the basis for approximately one-half of the world's
    operating nuclear plants.

    Shaw will host a conference call to discuss the planned
    acquisition of 20% of Westinghouse. The call is scheduled for today,
    Wednesday, October 4, 2006 at 9:00 a.m. EDT (8:00 a.m. CDT). A live
    webcast of the conference call will be available on the Investor
    Relations page of Shaw's web site at www.shawgrp.com. A replay of the
    call will be available via the Company's website approximately one
    hour after the call has been completed. You may also access the replay
    by dialing (800) 633-8284 and using the reservation number: 2130-5981
    or by retrieving the replay from the Shaw web site.

    The Shaw Group Inc. is a leading global provider of engineering,
    procurement, construction, technology, maintenance, fabrication,
    manufacturing, consulting, remediation, and facilities management
    services for government and private sector clients in the energy,
    chemical, environmental, infrastructure and emergency response
    markets. Headquartered in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, with over $4 billion
    in annual revenues, Shaw employs approximately 22,000 people at its
    offices and operations in North America, South America, Europe, the
    Middle East and the Asia-Pacific region. For further information,
    please visit Shaw's website at www.shawgrp.com.

    The Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 provides a
    "safe harbor" for certain forward-looking statements. The statements
    contained herein that are not historical facts (including without
    limitation statements to the effect that the Company or its management
    "believes," "expects," "anticipates," "plans," or other similar
    expressions) and statements related to revenues, earnings, backlog, or
    other financial information or results are forward-looking statements
    based on the Company's current expectations and beliefs concerning
    future developments and their potential effects on the Company. There
    can be no assurance that future developments affecting the Company
    will be those anticipated by the Company. These forward-looking
    statements involve significant risks and uncertainties (some of which
    are beyond our control) and assumptions and are subject to change
    based upon various factors. Should one or more of such risks or
    uncertainties materialize, or should any of our assumptions prove
    incorrect, actual results may vary in material respects from those
    projected in the forward-looking statements. The Company undertakes no
    obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking
    statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or
    otherwise. A description of some of the risks and uncertainties that
    could cause actual results to differ materially from such
    forward-looking statements can be found in the Company's reports and
    registration statements filed with the Securities and Exchange
    Commission, including its Form 10-K and Form 10-Q reports, and on the
    Company's web-site under the heading "Forward-Looking Statements".
    These documents are also available from the Securities and Exchange
    Commission or from the Investor Relations department of Shaw. For more
    information on the company and announcements it makes from time to
    time on a regional basis visit our web site at www.shawgrp.com.