US Georgia Power announced on 31 August that the third of four steam generators (SGs) had been installed at the Vogtle nuclear plant near Waynesboro, Georgia.
The SG was lifted into the unit 4 nuclear island. The SGs for the new AP1000 units 3&4 at Vogtle were fabricated in South Korea and transported to the site through the Port of Savannah and by rail. The final steam generator for the project is onsite and expected to be installed in the coming months.
Other milestones at the Vogtle site in recent weeks include the installation of the fourth and final cooling water system pump for unit 3.
The two Westinghouse AP1000 reactors being built at Vogtle are the only new nuclear units being built in the USA since two under construction at South Carolina Electric & Gas’s Summer plant were cancelled last year.
Georgia Power, which has a 45.7% stake in the project, said earlier in August that its subsidiary Southern Nuclear had made "significant progress" on construction of the Vogtle 3&4 since assuming project management on behalf of the coowners, but that capital and construction costs forecast for its share of the project had increased from $7.3bn to $8.4bn. Southern Company, the parent company of Georgia Power and Southern Nuclear, will absorb the $1.1bn in additional costs, which are the result of incentives to attract and retain staff, and increased field supervision and engineering oversight.
Georgia Power owns the construction project at Vogtle, with Oglethorpe Power (30%), MEAG Power (22.7%) and Dalton Utilities (1.6%).
Photo: Installation of the steam generator at Vogtle 4 (credit: Georgia Power)
