PSEG Nuclear Applies for 20-Year License Extensions for Salem, Hope Creek Nuclear Plants

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Researched by Industrial Info Resources (Sugar Land, Texas)--PSEG Nuclear (Newark, New Jersey), a member of Public Service Enterprise Group Incorporated (NYSE:PEG) (Newark, New Jersey), has applied to the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) for 20-year extensions to the operating licenses for the Salem and Hope Creek nuclear power plants in New Jersey.

The Atomic Energy Act allows the NRC to issue operating licenses for commercial nuclear power plants for a 40-year period. This duration was chosen to reflect the normal amortization period used by utility companies for major capital investments. However, with good maintenance standards and experienced operators, many nuclear power plants are capable of a longer operating life.

The Salem plant is a dual-unit facility, with a maximum power output of 2,345 megawatts (MW). The initial 40-year license for the first unit at Salem expires in 2016, while the license for the second unit expires in 2020. The Hope Creek plant has a generating capacity of 1,211 MW; the plant's original 40-year license expires in 2026.

Last year, PSEG Nuclear replaced the steam-generating system for the second unit at Salem and increased the generating capacity at Hope Creek by 200 MW through an extended power upgrade. Both plants have comprehensive preventative maintenance programs, together with continual equipment monitoring, testing and replacement as required. The NRC has four full-time inspectors stationed at the plants, with additional inspectors available from the NRC regional office, enabling them to conduct internal inspections and reviews.

PSEG has accumulated 122,000 man-hours in preparing the license renewal applications. Together, the applications for both plants are more than 4,000 pages; preparation involved extensive reviews of equipment and component performances, scrutiny of thousands of documents, and detailed examination of the engineering and maintenance programs in place, to ensure that both plants are capable of operating safely and efficiently for another 20 years.

Under the NRC licensing guidelines, plant operators are not permitted to apply for license extensions until a plant has been in operation for at least 20 years. The NRC has granted renewal extensions for 54 nuclear plants in the United States to date. A further 19 applications, including those for the Salem and Hope Creek plants, are in the system for review. Extensions to licenses have effectively given the U.S. nuclear power industry a 50% boost in terms of initial power output and life expectancy.

In addition to the massive amount of work required by operators to complete and submit a license renewal application, the NRC needs to spend time in the review process. It is expected that PSEG Nuclear will need to wait anywhere between 22 and 30 months before a decision is made on the applications.

PSEG Nuclear is the second-largest nuclear facility in the U.S. and operates the Salem and Hope Creek plants on a 750-acre, protected site in Lower Alloways Creek, Salem County, New Jersey, about 55 kilometers southwest of Philadelphia. Together, the two plants provide power for about 3 million households each day. The company also owns a 50% stake in the Peach Bottom nuclear power plant in Delta, Philadelphia.

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