A nuclear power plant has been put into operation in Georgia state, activating the first nuclear reactor in the USA since 2016 according to authorities.
The newest unit of Plant Vogtle to be linked to the electric grid has a capacity of 1,114 megawatts, the USA Energy Information Administration (EIA) said in a news release Tuesday. The country now has 95,881 MW of power generation through nuclear reaction, at 93 operating commercial reactors, most of which were built between 1970 and 1990, according to the EIA.
The startup of the unit means a nuclear reactor has been activated for the first time in the USA since 2016, when the Tennessee Valley Authority’s Watts Bar 2 was commissioned, it said.
“Vogtle Unit 3 is the first newly-constructed nuclear unit in the U.S. in over 30 years and can power an estimated 500,000 homes and businesses”, co-owner Georgia Power said in a press release Monday announcing the startup. “Once all four units are online, the Plant Vogtle site will be the largest generator of clean energy in the nation and support continued growth in Georgia as more industries, businesses and families come to the state.”
Georgia Power, a subsidiary of Southern Co., said nuclear now comprises 25 percent of its energy mix. Georgia Power also owns nuclear power facility Plant Hatch.
“With Unit 3 completed, and Unit 4 in the final stages of construction and testing, this project shows just how new nuclear can and will play a critical role in achieving a clean energy future for the United States”, Southern Co. president and chief executive Chris Womack said in a statement.
Unit 3 has a life expectancy of 60-80 years, said Kim Greene, chair, president and chief executive of Georgia Power.
“The new unit represents a long-term investment in the state’s clean energy future and will provide reliable, emissions-free energy to customers for decades to come”, Georgia Power said.
It expects Unit 4 to come onstream by the first quarter of 2024. “The unit completed hot functional testing in May, in significantly less time than Unit 3 as the team continues leveraging best practices and learnings from the earlier unit”, Georgia Power said.
“The Vogtle site has also received nuclear fuel for Unit 4, with a total of 157 fuel assemblies necessary for the safe and reliable startup of the unit.”
Georgia Power also said it had already received the go-ahead clearance for Unit 4 from the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
“The new Vogtle units are an essential part of Georgia Power’s commitment to delivering clean, safe, reliable and affordable energy to its 2.7 million customers”, it said.
Upon the activation of Unit 4, Vogtle surpasses the 4,210 MW Palo Verde in Arizona state, currently the USA’s biggest nuclear power plant, the EIA said.
Units 3 and 4 mark the first deployment of the AP1000 Generation III+ reactor by Westinghouse Electric Co., the EIA noted.
“This next generation advanced reactor has a smaller footprint and simpler design than previous generation reactor technologies”, the government agency said. “It also features robust passive safety systems that can shut down the reactor without any operator action or external power source.”
Put into service in the 1980s, the plant’s first two reactors had a combined nameplate capacity of 2,430 MW, according to the EIA.
“Originally expected to cost $14 billion and begin commercial operation in 2016 (Vogtle 3) and 2017 (Vogtle 4), the project ran into significant construction delays and cost overruns”, the EIA said. “The total cost of the project is now estimated at more than $30 billion.”
The USA has more nuclear power capacity than any other nation, the EIA said, adding: ” Nuclear power plants produce nearly 20 percent of the country’s electricity”.
“Although a number of nuclear reactors have retired in recent years, there has been interest in nuclear power as an energy resource to help reduce the carbon footprint of the U.S. electric power sector”, the EIA said. “Generation from nuclear reactors doesn’t produce CO2 emissions and can provide essential baseload power that would otherwise largely come from coal- and natural gas-fired plants.
“Recent legislation, such as the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and the Inflation Reduction Act, supports U.S. nuclear energy as part of a clean energy, zero-carbon generating portfolio.”
Southern Nuclear holds the operatorship of the new units of Vogtle, which is co-owned by Georgia Power, Dalton Utilities, MEAG Power and Oglethorpe Power Corp.
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