Vogtle site makes progress with critical testing of new unitsNuclear NewsPower & OperationsJuly 16, 2020, 3:15PM|Nuclear News StaffClosed vessel testing has been completed at Vogtle-3 at the Georgia Power site near Waynesboro, Ga., the company announced on July 14. The completion of the milestone prepares Unit 3 for cold hydro testing, which is required ahead of initial fuel load.Vogtle-3 and -4 are the first new nuclear power reactors built in the United States in the past three decades. The new units will be powered by AP1000 reactors.Closed vessel testing verifies that the pipes and valves in the Unit 3 reactor coolant system were installed as designed and helps to ensure safety systems function properly. To carry out the testing on the plant's safety systems, workers installed the reactor vessel head as well as the lower and upper reactor internals and flow restrictors, which will be used during hot functional testing to mimic flow through the reactor core.He said it: "The completion of closed vessel testing is a major milestone for the project, as we continue to make progress with critical testing and in our transition from construction toward system operations," said Glen Chick, executive vice president of Vogtle 3 & 4 Construction.2020 key milestones achieved:Completion of the structural integrity test and integrated leak rate test–The structural integrity test and integrated leak rate test were completed in succession and demonstrated the containment vessel meets construction quality and design requirements.Placement of the final module for Unit 3–The water tank that sits on top of the containment vessel and shield building roof, known as module CB-20, is a major part of the AP1000 reactor's advanced safety system and will hold about 750,000 gallons of water ready to flow down in the event of an emergency to help cool the reactor.Placement of the Unit 3 integrated head package (IHP) on top of the reactor vessel–Standing 48 feet tall, weighing 475,000 pounds, and containing more than three miles of electrical cables, the IHP will eventually be used by nuclear operators to monitor and control the nuclear reaction that will occur inside Unit 3’s reactor vessel.Completion of open vessel testing for Unit 3–This test successfully demonstrated how water flows from the key safety systems into the reactor vessel ensuring that the paths are not blocked or constricted, and confirmed the pumps, motors, valves, pipes, and other components of the systems function as designed.Placement of the polar crane and containment vessel top for Unit 4–This work signified that all major lifts inside the containment vessels for both units are now complete.Jobs: With more than 7,000 workers on site, Vogtle-3 and -4 is currently the largest jobs-producing construction project in the state of Georgia, according to Georgia Power. More than 800 permanent jobs will be added at the site when the units begin operating.Closed vessel testing has been completed for Vogtle-3 at the Georgia Power site near Waynesboro, Ga., the company announced on July 14. The completion of the milestone prepares Unit 3 for cold hydro testing, which is required ahead of initial fuel load.Vogtle-3 and -4 will be the first new nuclear power reactors built in the United States in the past three decades. The new units will be powered by Westinghouse AP1000 advanced pressurized water reactors.Tags:ap1000georgia powerjobsvogtleShare:LinkedInTwitterFacebook
Delay, cost increase announced for U.K. nuclear projectPerspex screens and reduced seating capacity in the Hinkley Point canteens help protect the workforce during breaks, EDF Energy said. Photo: EDF EnergyThe unfortunate effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on nuclear new-build projects haven’t stopped with Vogtle: EDF Energy this morning reported that the expected startup date for Unit 1 at its Hinkley Point C site is being pushed from late 2025 to June 2026.In addition, the project’s completion costs are now estimated to be in the range of £22 billion to £23 billion (about $30.2 billion to $31.5 billion), some £500 million (about $686 million) more than the 2019 estimate, EDF said, adding the caveat that these revisions assume an ability to begin a return to normal site conditions by the second quarter of 2021.Go to Article
More adjustments to Vogtle milestone dates likelyThe initial shipment of nuclear fuel for Unit 3 arrives at the Vogtle site in December. Photo: Georgia PowerLargely as a result of the continuing COVID-19 crisis, the Vogtle reactor-construction project team expects to further adjust dates for achieving key project milestones, including the start of hot functional testing and fuel load for Unit 3, Southern Company subsidiary Georgia Power announced on January 11.The company added, however, that it continues to expect to bring Unit 3 into service this November and Unit 4 into service in November 2022. Additional updates on the project will be provided during Southern’s quarterly earnings call next month.Go to Article
DOE lists five stories to watch in 2021Despite all the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic, the U.S. nuclear energy community pulled out some big wins in 2020, and this year could be even bigger, according to the Department of Energy’s Office of Nuclear Energy.From deep space exploration on Mars to a historic new reactor coming online in Waynesboro, Ga., 2021 will be a record-breaking year for the industry—both good and potentially bad.Find the full details on the DOE-NE website.Go to Article
When adverse action meets protected activity: Protecting employees and employers while upholding safety cultureWorkers in nuclear must be free to report potential problems without fear of retaliation. When it comes to issuing adverse actions, employers have a responsibility to ensure that protected activity rights are not infringed.Go to Article
First fuel shipment for Vogtle-3 deliveredSouthern Company subsidiary Georgia Power has announced the receipt of the initial shipment of nuclear fuel for Vogtle-3, characterizing the event as a “major step” for the two-unit nuclear expansion project currently under way at the Vogtle nuclear power plant near Waynesboro, Ga.Next step: With the receipt of the first nuclear fuel assemblies, the project is now focused on one of the major milestones for Unit 3, hot functional testing, the last critical step before fuel load and, ultimately, in-service operation, Georgia Power said.In October, Vogtle plant operator Southern Nuclear announced a readjustment of its July 2020 “aggressive site schedule” dates for Unit 3 hot functional testing, fuel load, and commercial operation. The dates were moved from October 2020, December 2020, and May 2021, respectively, to January 2021, April 2021, and the third quarter of 2021. Southern Nuclear said that hot functional testing could start as late as the end of March 2021 and fuel load as late as mid-year 2021 without jeopardizing Vogtle-3’s November 2021 regulatory approved in-service date.Go to Article
Vogtle project team reports delays, holds to approved start datesIn testimony filed last week with the Georgia Public Service Commission, Georgia Power and Southern Nuclear acknowledge that the “aggressive” target dates set in July for some of the Vogtle construction project’s upcoming milestones have had to be pushed back by a few months. At the same time, however, the companies continue to express confidence in being able to meet the regulatory-approved commercial start dates for the new reactors—November 2021 for Unit 3 and November 2022 for Unit 4.The testimony was filed in support of Georgia Power’s Twenty-third Semi-annual Vogtle Construction Monitoring Report, released in August, which covers the period from January 1 to June 30, 2020.Go to Article
Major milestone reached at Vogtle-3Vogtle-3, in September. Photo: Georgia PowerGeorgia Power has announced the completion of cold hydro testing at Vogtle-3, one of two 1,100-MWe Westinghouse AP1000 pressurized water reactors under construction at the Vogtle site near Waynesboro, Ga.Unit 3 construction is now approximately 94 percent complete, and the total Vogtle-3 and -4 expansion project is about 88 percent complete, according to the company’s October 19 announcement. The last major test for Vogtle-3 before initial fuel loading is hot functional testing.Cold hydro testing of Unit 3 confirmed that the reactor’s coolant system functions as designed and verified that the welds, joints, pipes, and other components of the coolant system and associated high-pressure systems do not leak when under pressure, Georgia Power said. The company also noted that it expects to meet the regulatory-approved in-service dates for the new reactors: November 2021 for Unit 3, and November 2022 for Unit 4.Go to Article
Georgia Power provides Vogtle project update, addresses COVID concernsVogtle Unit 3, in August. Photo: Georgia PowerThe target in-service dates for the Vogtle nuclear expansion project remain November 2021 for Unit 3 and November 2022 for Unit 4, plant owner Georgia Power announced in an August 31 report to the Georgia Public Service Commission. The project is now approximately 87 percent complete.Go to Article
Southern CEO tests positive for COVID-19FanningTom Fanning, president and chief executive officer of Southern Company, on July 10 announced via Twitter that he has tested positive for COVID-19. One of the largest U.S. utilities, Southern is the parent company of the owners and operators of the Farley, Hatch, and Vogtle nuclear power plants.Also on July 10, the state of Georgia obliterated its record for the number of COVID-19 cases in a single day, reporting 4,484 new cases, topping the previous record by more than 1,000. Fanning lives in Atlanta.Go to Article
Georgia Power resequencing Vogtle-3 and -4 planned activitiesFrom left: Vogtle-3 and -4. Photo: Georgia PowerSouthern Company subsidiary Georgia Power, primary owner of the Vogtle nuclear power plant, announced on June 23 that it is resequencing certain planned activities at Vogtle-3 and -4, the two Westinghouse AP1000 units under construction at the site near Waynesboro, Ga.Go to Article