NRC: News Release - 2008-043 - NRC Approves Power Uprate for Vogtle Nuclear Power Plant

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NRC NEWS U.S. NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION
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No. 08-043

March 4, 2008

NRC APPROVES POWER UPRATE FOR
VOGTLE NUCLEAR POWER PLANT
Printable Version

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission, on Feb. 27, approved a request by Southern Nuclear Operating Company to increase the generating capacity of Units 1 and 2 at the Vogtle nuclear power plant by 1.7 percent each. Both reactors are about 26 miles southeast of Augusta, Ga.

The NRC staff determined that Southern Nuclear could safely increase the reactor’s output primarily through more accurate means of measuring feedwater flow. NRC staff also reviewed Southern Nuclear’s evaluations showing the plant’s design can handle the increased power level.

The NRC's safety evaluation of the plant’s proposed power uprate focused on several areas, such as the nuclear steam supply systems, instrumentation and control systems, electrical systems, accident evaluations, radiological consequences, operations and training, testing, and technical specification changes.

The power uprate will increase Vogtle Unit 1’s generating capacity from approximately 1109 to 1174 megawatts electric, and Unit 2’s generating capacity from approximately 1127 to 1173 megawatts electric. Southern Nuclear intends to implement Unit 1’s uprate at the completion of the spring 2008 refueling outage and Unit 2’s uprate at the completion of the fall 2008 refueling outage.

The NRC previously published a notice about the power uprate application in the Federal Register providing the public an opportunity to comment or request a hearing. No requests were submitted. The agency’s evaluation of the Vogtle Units 1 and 2 uprates is available through the NRC’s ADAMS electronic document database by entering ML080350345 on this Web page: http://adamswebsearch.nrc.gov/dologin.htm.

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