The Shaw Group has been awarded a contract for a feasibility study by American Electric Power (AEP) to support a potential two-unit power uprate at the Cook Nuclear Plant near Bridgman, Michigan. The value of the contract has not been disclosed.
Shaw will perform the study to define the feasibility, scope of work and estimated cost to uprate the 2155MW plant, providing an anticipated 400MW increase of electricity. Shaw also will gather, analyse and format plant data for inclusion in the licensing amendment report that will be submitted to the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission for review and approval.
The award also includes a contractual framework to commence negotiations for the engineering, procurement and construction work to be performed during subsequent phases of the project.
Cook Unit 1 recently restarted in December 2009, after being out of service since September 2008 when turbine vibrations, caused by broken low-pressure turbine blades, damaged the turbine generator, support structures and associated systems. The unit is now operating at full power, however its electrical output will be reduced by an annual average of approximately 70 megawatts because the repaired LP turbine rotors do not include the largest row of blades.
In a December statement AEP said Cook Unit 1 is scheduled for refuelling in March 2010. New low-pressure turbine rotors that support full electrical output will be installed in the fall of 2011.
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