ATLANTA, Nov. 30, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Georgia Power
announced today the placement of the first nuclear reactor vessel
in the state of Georgia in more
than 30 years at the Plant Vogtle expansion project near
Augusta.
The 306-ton reactor vessel was lifted into its permanent
location inside the Unit 3 nuclear island on Nov. 23, using one of the largest cranes in the
world – a heavy-lift derrick with a 560-foot front boom.
Construction contractors Westinghouse and Fluor Corp. performed the
lift. The reactor vessel was fabricated by Doosan Heavy Industries
in South Korea, arrived at the
Port of Savannah, and was shipped
to the construction site by train on a specialized rail
car.
Standing 35 feet tall, the reactor vessel functions as a heat
source from the nuclear fission process to produce steam that will
generate electricity for homes and businesses throughout
Georgia.
"The safe placement of the Unit 3 reactor vessel, the first to
be placed in our state in decades, inside the nuclear island is a
tremendous milestone for the Vogtle project," said Mark
Rauckhorst, executive vice president of construction.
"With this placement, the unit is one step closer to completion and
entering service."
This achievement is the latest in a series of recent
construction highlights, including the placement of the CA01 module
for Unit 4 on Nov. 21 – the project's
second-heaviest lift. The CA01 module weighs more than 2
million pounds, or 1,000 tons, and stands 70 feet tall, 95 feet
wide, 80 feet long and was assembled on site at the project's
12-story Module Assembly Building. The CA01 module, made
entirely of steel, will house two steam generators for Unit 4, in
addition to other equipment.
Visit Georgia Power's YouTube site for time-lapse
videos of the CA01 and reactor vessel placements.
Other recent milestones include:
- Assembly of the squib valves for both units;
- The placement of the 2 million-pound Unit 4 CA20 module;
- The setting of the roof trusses for the Unit 3 turbine building
which brings the building to its final height of 254 feet.
The expansion at Plant Vogtle is part of Georgia Power's
long-term, strategic plan for providing safe, clean, reliable and
affordable energy for Georgians well into the future. Once Units 3
and 4 join the existing two units already in operation, Plant
Vogtle is expected to generate more electricity than any current
U.S. nuclear facility, enough to power more than one million homes
and businesses in Georgia.
Southern Nuclear, a subsidiary of Southern Company, is
overseeing construction and will operate the two new 1,100-megawatt
AP1000 units for Georgia Power and co-owners Oglethorpe Power
Corporation, the Municipal Electric Authority of Georgia and Dalton Utilities. Georgia Power
owns 45.7 percent of the new units.
About Georgia Power
Georgia Power is the largest
subsidiary of Southern Company (NYSE: SO), America's premier energy
company. Value, Reliability, Customer Service and Stewardship are
the cornerstones of the company's promise to 2.5 million customers
in all but four of Georgia's 159
counties. Committed to delivering clean, safe, reliable and
affordable energy at rates below the national average, Georgia
Power maintains a diverse, innovative generation mix that includes
nuclear, 21st century coal and natural gas, as well as renewables
such as solar, hydroelectric and wind. Georgia Power focuses on
delivering world-class service to its customers every day and the
company is consistently recognized by J.D. Power and Associates as
an industry leader in customer satisfaction. For more information,
visit www.GeorgiaPower.com and connect with the company on
Facebook (Facebook.com/GeorgiaPower) and Twitter
(Twitter.com/GeorgiaPower).
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SOURCE Georgia Power