ATLANTA, Feb. 11, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Workers at Georgia Power's Vogtle 3 & 4 project have completed the final concrete placement inside the Unit 3 containment vessel, which houses the unit's reactor. Completing this milestone is an important step that allows for the installation of machinery that will be used to load fuel into the unit.
Last year, the company announced it had ordered the first nuclear fuel load for Unit 3, the first nuclear fuel order to be placed in more than 30 years for a newly-designed reactor in the U.S. Consisting of 157 fuel assemblies with each measuring 14 feet tall, the fuel will eventually be loaded into the Unit 3 reactor vessel to support startup once the reactor begins operating.
Enough concrete for a sidewalk from Miami to Seattle
A total of 11,700 cubic yards - more than 22,000 tons - of concrete has been placed inside the Unit 3 containment vessel since construction began. In Unit 4, the final concrete placement of the operating deck has been completed, marking the last substantial concrete placement ahead of the containment vessel top lift in the coming months. Since the beginning of the project, more than 680,000 cubic yards of concrete have been placed for the new units, enough to build a sidewalk from Miami to Seattle.
Project workforce reaches all-time high
In addition, the project workforce has reached an all-time high with approximately 9,000 workers now on site. With more than 800 permanent jobs available once the units begin operating, Vogtle 3 & 4 is currently the largest jobs-producing construction project in the state of Georgia.
New construction time-lapse video highlights progress since groundbreaking
Georgia Power has released a new video of the nation's only new nuclear units currently under construction. From the removal of four million cubic yards of soil, to historic module and concrete placements, the video includes milestones throughout the project's history. Once completed, units 3 & 4 are expected to generate enough electricity to power approximately 500,000 homes and businesses.
The company has also released new aerial photos of the site, and a flyover video highlighting the progress being made at the site of the nation's first new nuclear units in more than 30 years.
About Georgia Power
Georgia Power is the largest electric subsidiary of Southern Company (NYSE: SO), America's premier energy company. Value, Reliability, Customer Service and Stewardship are the cornerstones of the company's promise to 2.6 million customers in all but four of Georgia's 159 counties. Committed to delivering clean, safe, reliable and affordable energy at rates below the national average, Georgia Power maintains a diverse, innovative generation mix that includes nuclear, coal and natural gas, as well as renewables such as solar, hydroelectric and wind. Georgia Power focuses on delivering world-class service to its customers every day and the company is consistently recognized by J.D. Power and Associates as an industry leader in customer satisfaction. For more information, visit www.GeorgiaPower.com and connect with the company on Facebook (Facebook.com/GeorgiaPower), Twitter (Twitter.com/GeorgiaPower) and Instagram (Instagram.com/ga_power).
Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements
Certain information contained in this release is forward-looking information based on current expectations and plans that involve risks and uncertainties. Forward-looking information includes, among other things, statements concerning the expected schedule for construction and generating capacity of Plant Vogtle Units 3 and 4. Georgia Power cautions that there are certain factors that can cause actual results to differ materially from the forward-looking information that has been provided. The reader is cautioned not to put undue reliance on this forward-looking information, which is not a guarantee of future performance and is subject to a number of uncertainties and other factors, many of which are outside the control of Georgia Power; accordingly, there can be no assurance that such suggested results will be realized. The following factors, in addition to those discussed in Georgia Power's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2018 and subsequent securities filings, could cause actual results to differ materially from management expectations as suggested by such forward-looking information: the ability to control costs and avoid cost and schedule overruns during the development, construction, and operation of facilities, including Plant Vogtle Units 3 and 4, which includes components based on new technology that only recently began initial operation in the global nuclear industry at this scale, and including changes in labor costs, availability and productivity; challenges with management of contractors, subcontractors or vendors; adverse weather conditions; shortages, delays, increased costs or inconsistent quality of equipment, materials, and labor; contractor or supplier delay; nonperformance under construction, operating, or other agreements; operational readiness, including specialized operator training and required site safety programs; engineering or design problems; design and other licensing-based compliance matters, including the timely submittal by Southern Nuclear of the Inspections, Tests, Analyses, and Acceptance Criteria documentation for each unit and the related reviews and approvals by the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission ("NRC") necessary to support NRC authorization to load fuel; challenges with start-up activities, including major equipment failure, system integration or regional transmission upgrades; and/or operational performance; the ability to construct facilities in accordance with the requirements of permits and licenses (including satisfaction of NRC requirements), to satisfy any environmental performance standards and the requirements of tax credits and other incentives, and to integrate facilities into the Southern Company system upon completion of construction; legal proceedings and regulatory approvals and actions related to construction projects, such as Plant Vogtle Units 3 and 4 and pipeline projects, including public service commission approvals and Federal Energy Regulatory Commission and NRC actions; under certain specified circumstances, a decision by holders of more than 10% of the ownership interests of Plant Vogtle Units 3 and 4 not to proceed with construction, and the ability of other Vogtle owners to tender a portion of their ownership interests to Georgia Power following certain construction cost increases; the inherent risks involved in operating and constructing nuclear generating facilities; and the ability of counterparties of Georgia Power and its subsidiaries to make payments as and when due and to perform as required. Georgia Power expressly disclaims any obligation to update any forward‐looking information.
SOURCE Georgia Power
