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NRC OKs I&C upgrade for Limerick
The Nuclear Regulatory Commission has amended the operating licenses of the two boiling water reactors at Constellation Energy's Limerick nuclear power plant, giving the company the green light to replace the units' analog safety-related instrumentation and controls systems with a state-of-the-art digital system.
“While reactor operators have leveraged existing regulatory flexibilities to implement targeted digital upgrades, the NRC's approval of the Limerick amendments represents a broader and more comprehensive approach,” the agency stated in a January 5 announcement. “Limerick will be the first operating nuclear power plant the NRC has authorized to perform a major digital retrofit that replaces multiple analog safety systems with a single digital plant protection system. The change modernizes the control room by replacing legacy equipment with modern digital controls and displays.”
The goal: Estimated at $167 million, the project is part of a broader $5.1 billion investment by Constellation across Pennsylvania to preserve the existing megawatts produced by its nuclear stations and to add another 1,200 MW through uprates. Limerick's two General Electric BWRs, located in Pottstown, Pa., produce 2,315 MWe, while Peach Bottom, the company's Delta, Pa., nuclear plant, generates 2,645 MWe, also via two GE BWRs.
The project will be accomplished in phases and “carefully managed to ensure safety and operational continuity,” according to a January 6 Constellation news release. Physical installation of the digital control rooms is planned to take place during upcoming refueling outages.
“The Digital Modernization Project replaces select analog instrumentation and control equipment with state‑of‑the‑art digital platforms designed to improve equipment monitoring, provide a broader range of automation, and support additional operational flexibility with enhanced reliability,” Constellation said. “These upgrades will help Limerick deliver around‑the‑clock, carbon‑free electricity to power homes, businesses, and new data‑driven industries that are creating jobs in the region. This is the first large-scale demonstration of a digital safety system upgrade at an operating U.S. nuclear plant, supported by the U.S. Department of Energy's Light Water Reactor Sustainability Program.”
Assistant Secretary for Nuclear Energy Ted Garrish added, “This project spotlights how important the ongoing operation of our current nuclear reactor fleet is to our country's energy security. Upgrading nuclear power plants with advanced digital systems will help ensure that Americans continue to have access to affordable and abundant energy today and in the future.”
ICYMI: Last month, the NRC approved a 20-year initial license renewal for Constellation’s Clinton plant and a 20-year subsequent license renewal for its Dresden plant, following a review of maintenance activities, plant equipment, and safety systems at the two Illinois facilities. The approvals allow Clinton to operate through 2047 and the Dresden reactors to operate through 2049 and 2051. According to a December 16 release from Constellation, the company is “investing more than $370 million to relicense the plants, installing state-of-the-art upgrades to increase efficiency, and ensure safety and reliability for decades to come.”
