Michigan's Smallest Operational Nuclear Station Looks for 20 Year License Renewal

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Researched by Industrialinfo.com (Industrial Information Resources, Incorporated; Houston, Texas). Consumers Energy, a subsidiary of CMS Energy (NYSE:CMS)(Jackson, Michigan) is applying to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) for a twenty-year life extension license on its 789-megawatt (MW) Palisades Nuclear Station in Van Buren County, Covert, Michigan, which is near South Haven. Palisades started commercial operation in early 1970's. The plant's current operating license will expire in 2011. The extension of the license to 2031 would help ensure that Consumers Energy will continue to provide low cost energy as it has for over thirty years.

Palisades Nuclear Station is operated by Nuclear Management Company LLC (NMC) (Hudson, Wisconsin), which has been operating the station since May 2001. NMC operates seven other nuclear units at five stations, with over 3,200 personnel from which to draw experience and knowledge from. NMC has experience in both nuclear technologies used in the United States - the Boiling Water Reactor (BWR) and the Pressurized Water Reactor (PWR). Palisades with NMC employs roughly 600 employees and utilizes the PWR technology.

Palisades Nuclear Station's power island consists of an Alstom/Combustion Engineering PWR that provides about 11.6 million pounds per hour of 622 pounds per square inch 490F steam, which drives the 811 MW design/789 MW operational Siemens Westinghouse tandem-compound turbine/generator set.

Consumers Energy has improved operational standards and spent well in excess of $250 million in capital expenditures to improve the Palisades Nuclear Station, making it a good candidate for relicensing. For example, they brought in NMC who specializes in nuclear operations. Consumers replaced the steam generators in 1992, replaced low pressure turbine sections in 1999, continual upgrades of control systems, upgraded generator, as well as installed a unit simulation system that helps train and keep personnel efficient. There are other projects that are being considered at for the future, such as replacing the reactor head. These improvements should all aid with certifying the station during the upcoming relicensing process.

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