Preparations for build at Vogtle

Friday, 16 March 2012

The latest pictures from the Vogtle 3 and 4 nuclear build project show workers preparing the simulator and installing rebar ahead of first concrete.

Existing pressurized water reactors Vogtle 1 and 2 continue to operate alongside the construction work. This space is where the reactor building of Vogtle 3 will sit

Installation of the rebar counts as construction work related to nuclear safety, but for a nuclear plant the official start of construction doesn't come until the pouring of first concrete - expected in several weeks' time. The 1107 MWe Westinghouse AP1000s are expected to be completed and operation by 2016 and 2017.

Engineers and tutors prepare the control room simulator with which the future operators of Vogtle 3 and 4 will be trained

Plant owner Southern applied to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) to build Vogtle units 3 and 4 in April 2008, and signed an engineering, procurement and construction contract with Westinghouse and its partner Shaw one week later. After a year the company had approval to begin limited construction work. The companies have now cleared and excavated the site, laid cooling water piping and put in place the foundations for the turbine buildings as well as a huge derrick crane for the simultaneous construction of two reactors.

The combined construction and operating license was issued by the NRC on 9 February.

Researched and written
by World Nuclear News