Welcome to DU! The truly grassroots left-of-center political community where regular people, not algorithms, drive the discussions and set the standards. Join the community: Create a free account Support DU (and get rid of ads!): Become a Star Member All Forums Issue Forums Culture Forums Alliance Forums Region Forums Support Forums Help & Search

FBaggins

(26,697 posts)
Fri Oct 23, 2015, 04:25 PM Oct 2015

Watts Bar Unit 2 ready to be fueled by year's end

With NRC operating license granted, TVA unit will be first new nuke unit added to grid in 19 years

Nearly 43 years after construction began, the Unit 2 reactor at the Watts Bar Nuclear Plant got an operating license Thursday to become the first new American nuclear power plant added to the electric grid in nearly two decades.

The staff of the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission said the TVA unit is ready to load nuclear fuel and begin power generation by the end of the year. The startup of a second reactor at Watts Bar, which comes 19 years after America's last new nuclear unit began power generation also at Watts Bar, cost TVA more than $6 billion over four decades of starts and stops during its construction.

...snip...

TVA plans to soon move the 193 bundles of nuclear fuel it has stored at Watts Bar for more than two years into the Unit 2 reactor in the next week or so for the Unit 2 reactor to begin power generation, at least on a limited basis, later this fall. Johnson said he expects all of the startup tests to be completed and the plant to be declared a commercial reactor for full-scale operation by next June in time for power production during the high-demand summer months.

http://www.timesfreepress.com/news/local/story/2015/oct/23/nrc-grants-operating-license-watts-bar-unit-2/332065/
Latest Discussions»Issue Forums»Environment & Energy»Watts Bar Unit 2 ready to...