The US Nuclear Regulatory Commission has renewed for a second time the operating licences for unit 1 at Constellation’s Clinton Clean Energy Center and units 2&3 at the Dresden Clean Energy Center, both in Illinois, for an additional 20 years. This followed a rigorous review of maintenance activities, plant equipment and safety systems. The approvals allow Clinton to operate until 2047 and the Dresden reactors until 2049 and 2051. Constellation says it is investing more than $370m to relicense the plants, installing state-of-the-art upgrades to increase efficiency and ensure safety and reliability for decades to come.
The 1,138 MWe boiling water reactor (BWR-6 Mark 3) at Clinton was commissioned in 1987. Dresden units 2&3 are BWR-3 (Mark 1) reactors commissioned in 1970 and 1971 with capacities of 950 MWe and 935 MWe respectively. In August, Constellation announced an agreement with Facebook parent Meta to buy electricity generated by the Clinton plant for the next 20 years. Constellation’s clean energy portfolio includes 26 nuclear reactors in six states.
“In the last ten years, we’ve invested over $3bn in our high-performing Illinois nuclear facilities to power the state’s economy with clean, reliable energy,” said Bryan Hanson, Constellation Executive Vice President and Chief Generation Officer. “These licence extensions will allow Clinton and Dresden to stay online for another two decades, preserving more than 2,200 family-sustaining jobs and $8.1bn in federal, state and local tax dollars.”
At Clinton, two new auxiliary transformers and two advanced equipment chillers are delivering higher system reliability, while upgrades to the plant’s condensate polisher system offer greater protection from component degradation. At Dresden, operators are now using next-generation feedwater level control technology to enhance reactor safety, while a new main power transformer purchased for the plant will deliver state-of-the art electrical system monitoring and control.
While these licence renewals give Constellation regulatory approval to operate Clinton and Dresden for another two decades, operation will depend on each plant’s financial viability. At Clinton, the Meta deal will support the continued operation, expansion and relicensing of following the expiration of the state’s Zero Emission Credit (ZEC) programme in May 2027.
