US company Georgia Power said on 9 March that it had achieved another milestone at the Vogtle NPP nuclear expansion project, completing the pouring of more than 1,376 cubic metres of concrete were a continuous 45-hour operation to fill the walls of the CA20 module at unit 3 - one of two Westinghouse AP1000 reactors under construction at Vogtle. The continuous pour is a key achievement for the vertical construction of the shield building and will provide structural support for the installation of select mechanical modules. The CA20 module, weighing nearly 1,000t and standing over 21 metres tall, will house plant systems including fuel handling and used fuel storage areas. It was lifted into place in March 2014.
The Vogtle expansion is the largest construction project in Georgia with more than 5,000 workers onsite and 800 permanent future jobs, when the new units join the two units already in operation. The expected completion date for unit 3 is June 2019 and for unit 4 June 2020. Once the new units come online, they are expected to put downward pressure on rates and deliver long-term savings for Georgia customers. Two AP1000s are also under construction at VC Summer NPP in South Carolina.
