Work Underway for $100 Million Nuclear Reactor Upgrade Project at 1,776 Megawatt Alabama Power Plant

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Researched by Industrialinfo.com (Industrial Information Resources, Incorporated; Houston, Texas). Preparations are being made at the Joseph M. Farley Nuclear Station (Plant 1509982) to replace the vessel head on Unit 1 scheduled for October of this year. A similar project is scheduled for Unit 2 during the last quarter of 2005.

The nuclear power station is located in Columbia, Houston County, Alabama. It consists of two 888 megawatt (MW) Westinghouse pressurized water reactors with two Siemens Westinghouse turbine and generator sets. Unit 1 began commercial operation in 1977 and Unit 02 began commercial operations in 1981.

Following the shutdown of First Energy Corporation's Davis-Besse Nuclear Station (Oak Harbor, Ohio) due to the detection of reactor vessel head corrosion, the federal Nuclear Regulatory Commission has ordered inspections and repairs to all pressurized water reactors plants in the U.S. For many plant operators, reactor vessel head replacement is one of the best economic options to ensure the long-term reliability of their plants.

The work scope will involve offloading, disassembly, and reassembly, transport of the reactor heads, rigging and handling inside the containment building, plant modifications, followed by normal refueling activities.

Westinghouse Electric Corporation (Monroeville, Pennsylvania) is the turnkey contractor for the project. The company provides plant design, fuel, service, technology, and equipment to utility and industrial customers.

The Joseph M. Farley Nuclear Station is owned by the Alabama Power Company (Birmingham, Alabama). It provides electricity to more than 1.3 million residential and business customers in Alabama. Alabama Power is the second largest subsidiary of Southern Company (NYSE: SO) (Atlanta, Georgia), one of the nation's largest generators of electricity. The company is the largest wholesale energy provider in the southeastern U.S.

The plant was named for Joseph M. Farley, who served as president and CEO of Southern Nuclear Operating Company, the operator of the plant. Southern Nuclear also operates the Alvin W. Vogtle Nuclear (Plant 1011962) located in Waynesboro, Georgia and Edwin I. Hatch Nuclear (Plant 1012040) located in Baxley, Georgia.