Georgia Power has announced that the last series of major tests ahead of initial fuel load is underway at the second new nuclear unit at the site near Waynesboro , Georgia . Hot functional testing verifies the successful operation of reactor components and systems together and confirms the reactor is ready for fuel load . Tests are carried out under the temperatures and pressures that the reactor systems will be subjected to during normal operation , but without nuclear fuel inside the reactor . The heat generated by the unit ’ s four reactor coolant pumps will be used to raise the temperature and pressure of plant systems to normal operating levels , Georgia |
Power said . Once these are achieved and sustained , the unit ’ s main turbine will be raised to normal operating speed using steam from the plant . During the series of tests , nuclear operators will be able to exercise and validate procedures as required ahead of fuel load . Construction of Vogtle 4 - the second of two Westinghouse AP1000 units at the Vogtle site , already home to two operating pressurised water reactors began in November 2013 . Timelines issued by the company earlier this year have suggested that fuel loading is envisaged in June , and the company says it is projected to enter service in “ late fourth quarter 2023 or first quarter 2024 ”. |
On the eve of its sixth decade in business , SECO / WARWICK Group ’ s three American divisions are proud to have participated in delivering technologies that support emerging energy markets , keeping North America ’ s lights on and its utilities humming . The latest contract with the energy firm is just the most recent of the Group ’ s combined experience supporting the metallurgical needs of the nuclear power industry and related sciences . The Vector 6VP-9912 horizontalloading furnace has a workload size of 36 ” x 36 ” x 48 ” deep and a 1497-kg capacity and is designed with a 6-bar high-pressure gas quench and all-metal hot zone , allowing for rapid quenching and deep vacuum heat treating applications . The customer has existing in-house heat treating but is looking to upgrade |
their capabilities with vacuum furnace technologies . This will be their first furnace from Seco / Vacuum . Seco / Vacuum was awarded the contract due to its proven expertise in nuclear applications and in manufacturing furnace systems that meet the customer ’ s strict processing requirements . Seco / Vacuum also recently completed the largest of their contributions to nuclear energy research to date , a heat-treat furnace for General Atomics ’ contribution to the superconducting central solenoid magnet for the ITER fusion reactor . Seco / Vacuum supplied the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology with a custom 12-meter vertical rotary retort furnace for heat-treating gyrotron parts as their contribution to the ITER experimental fusion reactor . |