After one of Plant Vogtle’s two new nuclear reactors was knocked offline for more than a week by a valve issue, the unit is once again back at full tilt and sending electricity out to Georgians.
The reactor, known as Unit 3, began generating electricity again last week, but its power was gradually increased as operators placed it through a battery of tests. Georgia Power spokesman Jacob Hawkins confirmed the unit reached its maximum output Saturday, and the federal Nuclear Regulatory Commission’s reactor status dashboard showed it was still running at 100% power Monday.
Hawkins said the company believes “the issue is resolved and we’re back to normal operations.”
Unit 3 is one of four reactors at Plant Vogtle, located 35 miles southeast of Augusta.
The unit was shut down July 8 after a valve malfunction on a pump that supplies “feedwater” to its steam generator, the company said. Feedwater removes heat from the reactor and is used to produce steam, which spins the generator’s turbines to create electricity.
Hawkins said all of the unit’s safety systems functioned as designed and that the incident posed no threat to the employees or the surrounding community.
Credit: arvin.temkar@ajc.com
Credit: arvin.temkar@ajc.com
Unit 3 has been online since last July, when it made history as the first new nuclear reactor built from scratch in the United States in more than three decades. Its twin, Unit 4, entered service in April, completing the expansion of the nuclear power plant and making Vogtle the country’s largest generator of carbon-free electricity, according to Georgia Power.
Vogtle is also home to two older nuclear reactors, Units 1 and 2, which have been in operation since the late 1980s.
The construction of the two new reactors was plagued by construction quality issues and other problems. The project reached the finish line roughly seven years later than expected and was completed at a total cost of around $35 billion, more than $20 billion more than what was initially forecast.
Georgia Power owns the largest share in the Vogtle expansion with 45.7%, followed by Oglethorpe Power (30%), the Municipal Electric Authority of Georgia (22.7%) and Dalton Utilities (1.6%). Most of Georgia Power’s portion of the project costs are coming out of ratepayers’ pockets.
The Vogtle expansion’s full tab began hitting Georgia Power customers in June, leading to sharp bill increases for many. For the average residential ratepayer using 1,000 kilowatt-hours of electricity a month, Vogtle’s costs will have ultimately contributed to raising their monthly bills by about $14.38. For those who use more electricity, even larger increases are likely.
Georgia Power also charges significantly more for electricity during the summer months, when demand is higher as homes and businesses lean on air conditioning to stay cool.
A note of disclosure
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