Bellefonte Nuclear Generating Station
| Bellefonte Nuclear Generating Station | |
|---|---|
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| Country | United States |
| Location | Hollywood, Alabama |
| Coordinates | 34°42′31″N 85°55′45″W / 34.70861°N 85.92917°WCoordinates: 34°42′31″N 85°55′45″W / 34.70861°N 85.92917°W |
| Status | Proposed |
| Construction cost | US$6 billion (Units 1 & 2) |
| Owner(s) | Tennessee Valley Authority |
| Reactor information | |
| Reactors planned | 2 x 1,100 MW[1] |
| Reactor type(s) | Pressurized water reactor |
| Reactor supplier(s) | Babcock and Wilcox[1] |
The Bellefonte Nuclear Generating Station (shortly BLN) is a partially completed nuclear power plant located in Hollywood, Alabama. A total of four reactors have been proposed over a period of 40 years, and billions of dollars have been spent, but no electricity has yet been produced. The site has sat idle for more than 20 years and some spare parts have been taken from the two incomplete units. In 2011, the Tennessee Valley Authority board of directors approved a plan to restart construction of the Bellefonte Unit 1 reactor.[2] But the ultimate cost and timing for Bellefonte 1 will depend on work at another reactor TVA is completing - Watts Bar 2 in Tennessee. In February 2012, TVA said the Watts Bar 2 project was running over budget and behind schedule.[3]
Contents |
Units 1 and 2 [edit]
The Bellefonte Nuclear Generating Station site is owned by the Tennessee Valley Authority and is located in Hollywood, Alabama. The two partially built 1,256 megawatt (MWe) pressurized water reactors on the site were made by Babcock and Wilcox and are called a 205 design due to the number of fuel assemblies in the core. These units are of the same design as WNP-1 which is also unfinished, and as the Mülheim-Kärlich A reactor in Germany that operated for three years and proved the design. Unit 1 was 88% complete and Unit 2 was 58% when development was suspended in 1988 after a $6 billion investment. Subsequent asset recovery activities, along with more recent inspections of remaining equipment, resulted in BLN 1&2 now being considered approximately 55 percent and 35 percent complete, respectively.[4]
Although the construction permits were terminated on September 15, 2006, TVA is investigating completion of these first two units with operation projected to start Unit 1 in 2017 and Unit 2 in 2021. In August 2008 TVA asked the NRC to reinstate the construction permits as part of the restart evaluation. This request was granted by the NRC on February 9, 2009, albeit as a terminated application which required significant inspection of all systems to bring the license to the deferred stage. The status was upgraded January 14, 2010 to deferred.[5]
Units 3 and 4 [edit]
On September 22, 2005 it was announced that Bellefonte was also selected as the site for one or two AP1000 pressurized water reactors to be called Units 3 and 4. TVA filed the necessary applications[6] in November 2007 to begin the design and construction process. For details, see Nuclear Power 2010 Program.
In August 2009, the Tennessee Valley Authority, faced with "falling electric sales and rising costs from cleaning up a massive coal ash spill in Tennessee", trimmed plans for the potential four-unit Bellefonte nuclear plant to one reactor.[7]
Recent developments [edit]
On August 20, 2010 the TVA Board of Directors authorized $248 million to continue development of the Bellefonte Unit 1.[8] On August 18, 2011, the TVA board of directors voted to move forward with the construction of the unit one reactor at Bellefonte.[9]
But as of March 2012, many contractors have been laid off and the ultimate cost and timing for Bellefonte 1 will depend on work at another reactor TVA is completing - Watts Bar 2 in Tennessee. In December 2012, TVA said the Watts Bar 2 project is on schedule to finish in December 2015.[10]
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Bellefonte Nuclear Generating Station
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Bellefonte Nuclear in 2008
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Bellefonte Nuclear - Aerial
Reactor data [edit]
The Bellefonte Generating Station consist of two cancelled reactors, two additional are planned.
| Reactor unit | Reactor type | Capacity | Construction started | Electricity grid connection | Commercial operation | Shutdown | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Net | Gross | ||||||
| Bellefonte-1[11] | B&W-205 | 1235 MW | 1263 MW | 01.01.1974 | Cancelled construction on 01.01.1988, but planned to resume construction | ||
| Bellefonte-2[12] | B&W-205 | 1235 MW | 1263 MW | 01.01.1974 | Cancelled construction on 01.01.1988 | ||
| Bellefonte-3[13] | AP1000 | 1117 MW | 0 MW | Cancelled plan | |||
| Bellefonte-4[14] | AP1000 | 1117 MW | 0 MW | Cancelled plan | |||
References [edit]
- ^ a b NRC: Bellefonte Nuclear Site, Units 3 and 4 Application
- ^ "TVA board approves construction of nuclear plant". The Tennessean. 08-18-11. Retrieved August 18, 2011.
- ^ "TVA cuts contractors at Alabama Bellefonte nuclear site". Reuters. Mar 16, 2012.
- ^ http://edocket.access.gpo.gov/2009/E9-19045.htm
- ^ http://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/doc-collections/news/2010/10-012.html
- ^ Tennessee Valley Authority Application for a Combined Licence
- ^ TVA plan for Ala. nuclear plant drops to 1 reactor
- ^ [1]
- ^ "TVA board approves construction of nuclear plant". The Tennessean. 08-18-11. Retrieved August 18, 2011.
- ^ http://www.tva.com/power/nuclear/pdf/wb2_performance_summary_dec_2012.pdf
- ^ Power Reactor Information System of the IAEA: „Nuclear Power Reactor Details - BELLEFONTE-1“
- ^ Power Reactor Information System of the IAEA: „Nuclear Power Reactor Details - BELLEFONTE-2“
- ^ Power Reactor Information System of the IAEA: „Nuclear Power Reactor Details - BELLEFONTE-3“
- ^ Power Reactor Information System of the IAEA: „Nuclear Power Reactor Details - BELLEFONTE-4“
External links [edit]
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Bellefonte Nuclear Generating Station |
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- Nuclear power stations using AP1000 reactors
- Nuclear power plants in Alabama
- Proposed nuclear power stations in the United States
- Buildings and structures in Jackson County, Alabama
- Nuclear power stations using pressurized water reactors
- Tennessee Valley Authority
- Towers in Alabama
- Uncompleted nuclear reactors
