Westinghouse Celebrates Milestone Achievement as AP1000® Technology Powers Plant Vogtle Unit 4 into Commercial Operation
30 April 2024 - 5:10AM
Business Wire
Today, the second U.S.-based Gen III+ advanced nuclear
Westinghouse AP1000® reactor entered commercial operation at Plant
Vogtle, near Waynesboro, Georgia. Westinghouse congratulates
Southern Company, Georgia Power and the project partners for this
major milestone at Vogtle Unit 4.
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Vogtle Unit 4 has entered commercial
operation in April 2024. Photo courtesy of Georgia Power ©
2024.
Alongside Vogtle Unit 3, which entered commercial operation in
July 2023, and the site’s two existing pressurized water reactors,
Unit 4 will play a critical role in securing a carbon-free future
for the U.S. Units 3 and 4 can each generate enough electricity to
power an estimated 500,000 households and businesses. Nuclear
energy is emission free, and the new units are expected to provide
reliable power throughout the region for the next 60-80 years. The
AP1000 units at Vogtle are the first new nuclear build projects in
the U.S. in more than 30 years and are operated by Southern
Nuclear.
“I am proud to announce the successful deployment of AP1000
technology for Vogtle Unit 4, making Plant Vogtle the largest
source of clean energy in the United States,” said Patrick Fragman,
Westinghouse President & CEO. “As Unit 4 joins our global fleet
of proven, state-of-the-art AP1000 reactors, I applaud the
dedicated Vogtle team whose relentless work and continuous effort
made this project a success. We are honored by the trust placed in
Westinghouse by our customers throughout this project.”
Vogtle Units 3 and 4 were built using the most technologically
advanced nuclear reactor technology available today – the AP1000
reactor. With all four units online, the Plant Vogtle site is now
the largest generator of clean energy in the United States. Today,
our globally deployed AP1000 reactor fleet transforms the global
energy landscape and advances a transition to zero-emission energy
systems.
The AP1000 reactor is the only operating Generation III+ reactor
with fully passive safety systems, modular construction design and
the smallest footprint per MWe on the market. In addition to the
two operating AP1000 units at the Vogtle site in Georgia, four
AP1000 reactors are currently setting operational performance and
availability records in China with eight additional reactors under
construction. The AP1000 technology has been selected for the
nuclear energy programs in Poland, Ukraine and Bulgaria, and is
also under consideration at multiple other sites in Central and
Eastern Europe, the UK, India and North America.
Westinghouse Electric Company is shaping the future of
carbon-free energy by providing safe, innovative nuclear and other
clean power technologies and services globally. Westinghouse
supplied the world’s first commercial pressurized water reactor in
1957 and the company’s technology is the basis for nearly one-half
of the world's operating nuclear plants. Over 135 years of
innovation makes Westinghouse the preferred partner for advanced
technologies covering the complete nuclear energy life cycle. For
more information, visit www.westinghousenuclear.com and follow us
on Facebook, LinkedIn and X.
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