Powered by Westinghouse-developed pressurized water reactors, the Joseph M. Farley twin-unit nuclear power station is owned by Alabama Power and operated by Southern Nuclear.
Each unit of the power station, which is designed to generate 900MW for a total capacity of 1,800MW, requires new fuel every 18 months.
During the outage, operators will carry out regular maintenance and testing as well as upgrades to plant systems and components to enhance efficiency and reliability.
Southern Nuclear site vice president Cheryl Gayheart said: "Safety is our number one priority during the outage."
Meanwhile, Unit 2 of the power station is operating as planned.
The plant’s unit 1 achieved commercial operation in December 1977 and the Unit 2 in July 1981.
