Thursday, July 22, 2010

All 3 units at TVA Ala. Browns Ferry reactor reduced

From Reuters:
* All units reduced to maintain cooler river temperatures * Plants at reduced power until river temperatures moderate (Adds details on power reduction) NEW YORK, July 16 (Reuters) - All three units at the Tennessee Valley Authority Browns Ferry nuclear power station in Alabama were reduced by early Friday, the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission said in its power reactor status report. A spokesman for TVA said all three units were reduced to "maintain river temperature permit with the state of Alabama." There is a 90 degree, 24-hour downstream permit that the plants are not allowed to exceed, said spokesman Jason Huffine. The units were at about 65 percent of capacity early Friday, after being reduced to about half power overnight, and all three were expected to remain at reduced power until the river temperatures moderate, Huffine added. The Browns Ferry nuclear power plant consists of the 1,065-megawatt Unit 1, the 1,104-MW Unit 2 and the 1,105-MW Unit 3. One MW powers about 500 homes in Alabama. ------------------------------------------------------------ PLANT BACKGROUND/TIMELINE STATE: Alabama COUNTY: Limestone TOWN: Decatur on the Wheeler Reservoir about 170 miles (273 km) north of Montgomery, the state capital OPERATOR: TVA OWNER(S): TVA UNIT(S): 1 - 1,065-MW General Electric boiling water reactor 2 - 1,104-MW GE boiling water reactor 3 - 1,105-MW GE boiling water reactor FUEL: Nuclear DISPATCH: Baseload COST: $7 billion total capital cost as of end of fiscal 2009 TIMELINE: 1966 - TVA gets approval to build plant and starts construction 1973 - Unit 1 enters commercial service 1974 - Unit 2 enters commercial service 1975 - Unit 1 shut for a year due to fire damage 1976 - Unit 3 enters commercial service 1985 - TVA shuts plant due operational and management issues 1991 - Unit 2 returns to service 1995 - Unit 3 returns to service 2002 - TVA starts $1.8 billion project to restore Unit 1 to service 2006 - NRC extends original 40-year operating license for an additional 20 years 2007 - Unit 1 returns to service 2033 - Unit 1 license to expire 2034 - Unit 2 license to expire 2036 - Unit 3 license to expire (Reporting by Eileen Moustakis; Editing by John Picinich)

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