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Missouri Nuclear Industry |
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Report Updated:
August 18, 2006
There is only one commercial nuclear reactor in Missouri. According to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Callaway unit 1 is a light water pressurized reactor (PWR). Permanently Shutdown Commercial Reactors: Not applicable. Nuclear Research and Test Reactors Regulated by NRC: The University of Missouri has a Pool reactor (power level 200 kilowatts) at its Rolla campus and a Tank reactor (power level 10,000 kilowatts) at its Columbia campus. The unit at Rolla was licensed on November 21, 1961. The Columbia reactor was licensed on October 11, 1966.
Nuclear Generation Electricity generation by nuclear power plants is available for each reactor and each State for each of the following years: Contribution of Nuclear Power As of January 1, 2005, Missouri ranked 27th among the 31 States with nuclear capacity.
The Callaway Nuclear Plant is one of 30 single-unit nuclear plants located in the United States. In the late twentieth century, many analysts viewed single-unit plants as potentially vulnerable to permanent shutdowns for economic reasons. The closure of 9 such plants[1] between 1987 and the end of the century seemed to confirm this view. Multi-unit plants closed, too. In fact, the greatest permanent loss of capacity by a power plant closing was at the dual-unit Zion plant in Illinois. But multi-unit plant closings were less common. The multi-unit plants had a significant advantage: if one reactor closed down for maintenance or refueling, the other(s) could continue to produce power. The trend of single-unit plant closings appears to have ended with Michigan's Big Rock Point in 1997, and the trend towards re-licensing of existing plants (single- or multi-unit) began with the new century. On March 23, 2000, Calvert Cliffs in Maryland became the first plant to have its license extended by the NRC. The first renewal of a single-unit plant license did not come until November 10, 2003, when Nebraska's Fort Calhoun plant became the 10th applicant to be approved by the NRC. The re-licensing of single-unit plants is significant to the recovery of the nuclear industry as a whole. The Nation's 30 single-reactor plants represent one fourth of the country's total nuclear capacity. Together with the Nation's 35 multi-unit plants, they account for one fifth of the Nation's electricity output. All reactors must eventually shut down for routine maintenance and re-fueling. With only one reactor, how does Callaway meet its obligations to its customers if the reactor shuts down for any reason? According to Michael B. (Mike) Cleary of Ameren, "when such shutdowns occur, the electricity that Callaway would normally produce is replaced by other plants on the Ameren system, or by a combination of other Ameren plants and power purchased from other systems, depending on market conditions." As a result, customers might have to rely on electric output from non-nuclear plants during reactor shutdown. The Energy Information Administration projects that U.S. nuclear will provide more electricity in 2006 than in any previous year. The projections are for the industry as a whole, but it seems likely that single-unit plants will have to make a significant contribution if the projections are to be fulfilled. The Nations' 30 single-reactor power plants contain 26 percent of U.S. commercial nuclear capacity. Missouri Nuclear Highlights
License Renewal The license for the Callaway plant does not expire until October 2024. Applications for license renewal are submitted to the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC).
More Information on Spent Fuel Air Quality in Missouri Of the 50 States plus the District of Columbia, the electric industry of the State of Missouri ranks 12th highest in carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions. Carbon dioxide emissions are of concern because they contribute to global warming. The State's electric industry ranks 15th highest in sulfur dioxide (SO2) emissions and 11th highest in nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions.
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see also:
annual nuclear statistics back to 1953
projected electricity capacity to 2025
international electricity statistics