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Alvin W. Vogtle Electric Generating Plant
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The Alvin W. Vogtle Electric Generating Plant is a 2-unit nuclear power plant located in Burke County, near Augusta and Waynesboro, Georgia. It is named after the Birmingham, Alabama-born war hero and, Alabama Power and Southern Company board chairman, Alvin Vogtle.
Each unit has a Westinghouse pressurized water reactor (PWR), with a General Electric turbine and electric generator. Units 1 and 2 were completed in 1987 and 1989, respectively. Each of Vogtle's units is capable of producing approximately 1,200 MW of electricity when online, for a combined capacity of 2,400 MW. Southern Nuclear lists the capacity as 1,215 MW each, for a combined output of 2,430 MW. The twin cooling towers are 548 ft (167 m) tall.
During Alvin W. Vogtle Electric Generating Plant construction, costs skyrocketed from an estimated $660 million to $8.87 billion. This was typical of the time due to increased regulations after the Three Mile Island accident.
In 2009, the NRC renewed the licenses for both units for an additional 20 years, to the 2040s. Groundwork for two additional reactors is well underway.Units 3 and 4
On August 15, 2006, Southern Nuclear formally applied for an Early Site Permit (ESP) for two additional units. The ESP will determine whether the site is appropriate for additional reactors, and this process is separate from the Combined Construction and Operating License (COL) Application process. On March 31, 2008, Southern Nuclear announced that it had submitted an application for a COL, a process which will take at least 3 to 4 years. On April 9, 2008, Georgia Power Company reached a contract agreement for two AP1000 reactors designed by Westinghouse (owned by Toshiba) and the Shaw Group (Baton Rouge, LA). The contract represents the first agreement for new nuclear development since the Three Mile Island accident in 1979, and received approval from the Georgia Public Service Commission (PSC) on March 17, 2009. As stated by a Georgia Power spokesperson Carol Boatright: "If the PSC approves, we are going forward with the new units."
On August 26, 2009 the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission issued an Early Site Permit and a Limited Work Authorization. Construction activities have begun.
| Plant Vogtle | |
|---|---|
| Official name | Alvin W. Vogtle Electric Generating Plant |
| Country | United States |
| Locale | Burke County, Georgia, |
| Status | Operational |
| Commission date | Unit 1: June 1, 1987 Unit 2: May 20, 1989 |
| Licence expiration | Unit 1: January 16, 2047 Unit 2: February 9, 2049 |
| Construction cost | $8.87 billion (Units 1 & 2) |
| Owner(s) | Georgia Power (45.7%) OPC (30%) MEAG (22.7%) City of Dalton (1.6%) |
| Operator(s) | Southern Nuclear |
| Architect(s) | Southern Services and Bechtel |
| Reactor information | |
| Reactors operational | 2 x 1215 MW |
| Reactors planned | 2 x 1117 MW |
| Reactor type(s) | 4-loop PWR (active), AP1000 (planned) |
| Reactor supplier(s) | Westinghouse |
| Power station information | |
| Generation units | General Electric (Units 1 & 2) |
| Power generation information | |
| Annual generation | 18,297 GW·h |
