US Starts New Nuclear Reactor for the First Time in 7 Years

The first new nuclear reactor approved in the United States since the Three Mile Island nuclear accident in 1979 has begun commercial operation.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

According to major foreign media including AFP on the 31st (local time), the U.S. power company Georgia Power started commercial electricity production at Vogtle Unit 3, built in Waynesboro, southeastern Georgia. The maximum output is 1100 MW (megawatts), which is known to be capable of supplying electricity to 500,000 households and businesses.

In a statement, Georgia Power said, "This new power plant represents a long-term investment in Georgia's clean energy future and will provide customers with reliable, emission-free energy for decades to come."

It is reported that Vogtle Unit 4, which was approved for construction along with Vogtle Unit 3, is also nearing completion. Approval for the insertion of radioactive fuel was granted on the 28th of last month, and it is expected to begin operation in March next year.

Vogtle Units 3 and 4 are the first reactors to be operated in seven years since the Watts Bar Unit 2 in Tennessee began operation in 2016. Watts Bar Unit 2 started construction in 1973 but was halted for a while and then operated after more than 40 years.

Vogtle Units 3 and 4 are also the first new reactor projects approved by U.S. authorities since 1979. After the Three Mile Island accident in Pennsylvania in 1979, U.S. authorities had not approved new nuclear reactor construction. Then, in 2012, the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) approved the construction of the Vogtle reactors for the first time in over 30 years.