The Tennessee Valley Authority is to complete construction of the Watts Bar Unit 2 nuclear power plant and has signed a contract with Westinghouse Electric Company for the project.
Work will begin immediately on the Tennessee-based plant, construction of which was halted in 1985 owing to a fall in demand for electricity. It is expected to enter commercial service in 2012.
Under the $200 million contract Westinghouse will upgrade and replace most of the I&C systems, supply new reactor coolant pumps and drive rods, and carry out steam generator services, crane replacement and upgrades, Probabilistic Risk Assessment (PRA), NSSS plant design engineering services, and licensing services and safety analysis.
“We are so pleased to be part of this important project, which is yet another positive for the nuclear industry,” said Ric Pérez, senior vice president, Westinghouse Nuclear Services.
Watts Bar Unit 2 is a 1200 MW Westinghouse pressurized water reactor (PWR) which is approximately 80 per cent complete. The engineering, procurement and construction work on the project is being led by Bechtel Corp.
The TVA announced last year that it would complete construction of the reactor.
