Shearon Harris operating licence extended

18 December 2008

The operating licence for Progress Energy's Shearon Harris nuclear power plant in North Carolina has been renewed for a further 20 years by the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC). Progress submitted its licence renewal application in November 2006. The NRC's environmental review for the licence renewal concluded that there were no environmental impacts that would preclude renewal of the licence for environmental reasons. After reviewing the plant's safety systems and specifications, the NRC also concluded that there were no safety concerns that would preclude licence renewal. With the renewal, the licence is extended until 24 October 2046. Shearon Harris is a single unit plant, with a 900 MWe pressurized water reactor (PWR), which began operating in 1987. The Harris licence renewal brings the total number of US renewals to 51 reactors.