ATLANTA – Fuel loading has begun at the second of two new nuclear reactors being built at Georgia Power’s Plant Vogtle.
The first of the new reactors – Unit 3 – began commercial operations late last month seven years behind the original schedule.
The start of fuel loading at Unit 4 marks a major milestone toward getting it into commercial service late this year or early in 2024. It comes after the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission certified the new reactor has been constructed and will be operated in compliance with regulations.
Once fuel loading is complete, startup testing will begin. Operators will bring the reactor from cold shutdown to initial criticality, synchronize the unit to the electric grid and gradually raise power to 100%.
“On the heels of Unit 3 reaching commercial operation, today’s good news of fuel load at Unit 4 continues the site’s positive momentum … at the Vogtle construction project, which represents the first advanced commercial nuclear project in the U.S. in more than three decades,” said Mike Smith, president and CEO of Oglethorpe Power, one of four utilities partnering on the Vogtle expansion.
Originally expected to cost about $14 billion, the estimated price tag has more than doubled. The work was complicated by the bankruptcy of Westinghouse Electric, the original prime contractor, and a workforce shortage brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Once Unit 4 goes into commercial operation, the Georgia Public Service Commission will hold “prudency” hearings and decide how much of the project costs will be passed on to customers and how much will be assigned to the utilities’ shareholders.