TVA’s Browns Ferry Nuclear Station Prepares for Crucial Testing

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Researched by Industrial Info Resources (Sugar Land, Texas). Tennessee Valley Authority’s Browns Ferry Nuclear Station is preparing for a vital test this weekend on one of its nuclear reactors. The 1,200-megawatt Unit 1 will be taken offline on Saturday morning to perform testing on the main steam isolation valve. This testing will allow engineers to properly close the steam isolation valves of the turbine building. This unit was successfully restarted earlier last month. The unit had remained dormant since March 1985 when TVA removed it from operation due to managerial and technical problems.

The Browns Ferry Nuclear Station is located on the Tennessee River in Decatur, Alabama. The plant consists of three nuclear generating units capable of generating approximately 3,400 megawatts. All units were built by General Electric and are licensed to operate for another 28 to 30 years. An important event happened on March 22, 1975, when a fire outbreak was caused by a worker using a candle to search for air leaks. This had set a temporary cable seal on fire, causing significant damage to the reactor control cabling for the entire station. This event resulted in the Nuclear Regulatory Commission adding significant changes to the standards for fire protection.

TVA is the nation’s largest public power company with the capability of generating 33,000 megawatts. TVA provides power to about 8.7 million residents of the Tennessee Valley. The company is headquartered in Knoxville, Tennessee.

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