A few news items filter through the hazy days
Entergy revives plans for River Bend and Grand Gulf plants
Reuters reports that Entergy, the second largest U.S. nuclear utility, is reviving its option to build the River Bend nuclear power plant near St. Fancisville, LA. At the same time the utility said it would also begin anew to pursue its option for new reactor construction at its Grand Gulf site in Mississippi.
Both actions come after previous efforts to development the sites were suspended when Entergy could not come to terms with GE-Hitachi over its new ESBWR reactor design. Entergy said it would file the required certificates of need in each state while it decides on new reactors for the two sites.
Southern gets Early Site Permit for Vogtle site
Southern scored a two-for-one milestone in August as a result of the NRC issuing an Early Site Permit and a Limited Work Authorization for its planned construction of twin Westinghouse AP1000 1,150 MW nuclear reactors at the Vogtle site.
In March 2009 the Georgia Public Service Commission approved the new Vogtle Units #3 & #4 which are expected to enter revenue service in 2016 and 2017.
PSEG files for license renewals in New Jersey
PSEG Nuclear has submitted applications for 20-year license extensions for its Salem and Hope Creek nuclear power plants. The plants have been undergoing system and balance of plant upgrades. The three reactors represent a combined generating capacity of 3.5 GWe. They keep the lights on in New Jersey and especially for you folks ‘down the shore.’
Unistar delays COL for Nine Mile
Unistar Energy has asked the NRC to reschedule its review of the COL for a new Areva EPR for the upstate New York site by a year. Unistar President George Vanderheyden wrote in a letter to business groups the consortium is working on gaining support for the project with the State of New York.
Unistar is composed of Areva, Bechtel, and Constellation Energy. The consortium’s Calvert Cliffs Unit #3, an Areva EPR, is expected to break ground in Maryland in 2012.
New York strikes again
The State of New York has shown itself to be unusually hostile to nuclear energy with repeated efforts to close Entergy’s Indian Point plant. Also, New York regulatory agencies have delayed yet again Entergy’s request to restructure the ownership of its reactors.
The state said the filing by the utility does not support a finding that the plan is financially viable. The New York Public Service Commission could make a decision in January 2010.
Two of seven reactors now online at Kashiwazaki-Kariwa
A second reactor has been repaired and is online generating electricity at Japan’s largest nuclear power station which is composed of seven nuclear reactors. The units received minor damage in an earthquake two years ago. Tokyo Electric Power fired up the 1,350 MW reactor reducing the CO2 emissions that had been generated as it bought electricity from fossil plants while the reactors were shut down.
# # #
1 comment:
Hi Dan, I just want to correct a word there in your paragraph about Kashiwazaki-Kariwa. The extended post-earthquake outage of the seven reactors there, and particularly the newer two, was not really for "repairs". So I'd like to amend your sentence starting "A second reactor has been repaired..." to "A second reactor has completed inspections and seismic upgrades,...".
Thanks for the round-up.
Post a Comment