The Second Nuclear Age Begins

The initiation of the construction of the first ever Westinghouse AP-1000 reactor in Sanmen City, Zhejiang Province, China today, the curtain was run up on the second nuclear age. Three more AP-1000 are on order in China. TVA has applied for a NRC license to build and operate two AP-1000's and several other prospective operators plan to apply for licenses for over a dozen more AP-1000s this year. In addition to the 4 AP-1000's on order, China has indicated that it intends to make the AP-1000 the center of its plan to develop nuclear powered electrical sources.

Photo taken on Feb. 26, 2008 shows the construction of China's first third-generation nuclear plant and also the world's first AP1000 nuclear plant, the AP1000 Sanmen nuclear plant, in Sanmen, east China's Zhejiang Province. The Sammen Nuclear Power Project kicked off its excavation construction on Tuesday. (Xinhua Photo)

Photo taken on Feb. 26, 2008 shows the excavation kick-off ceremony of the AP1000 Sammen Nuclear Power Project, in Sanmen, east China's Zhejiang Province. The AP1000 Sanmen nuclear plant, China's first third-generation nuclear plant, would also become the world's first AP1000 nuclear plant.(Xinhua Photo)

Construction of the AP-1000 is expected to be take as little as 36 months. Because the NRC licensing of TVA's initial reactors is expected to take 42 months, the construction of America's first AP-1000 is expected to commence in 2012. The first TVA AP-1000, located at TVA’s Bellefonte, Alabama nuclear site s is expected to be completed about 2015, followed by a second reactor being completed in 2o17. In addition TVA expects to complete the construction of another reactor at the Watts Bar, Tennessee nuclear plant in 2012.

The AP-1000 is rated from 1100 to 1250 MWs. AP-1000 generated electricity is expected to costs below 3.5 cents per KWh, and AP-1000s ae expected to opeate for 60 year. TVA is the lead licenses applicant for the AP-1000. The numerous other applications for the construction of AP-1000s in the United States will be based on the approval of the TVA application,

TVA is the only national utilirty to have continued building reactors during the last 2o years. The first Watts Bar reactor, begun in 1972 was completed in 1996. Following the completion of the Watts Bar reactor, TVA undertook to rebuild the Browns Ferry Unit 1 reactor, damaged by a fire in 1975. That reactor was rebuilt beginning in 2002, and emerged as a virtually new unit, in 2007. Both reactors are currently contributing power to the TVA system. In addition, TVA began a program to complete a second Watts Bar reactor in late 2007. Construction of the reactor had begun in the 1970's and had been suspended early in 1985. Construction on the second Watts Bar reactor is expected to be completed in 2012. Because TVA has recent experience with reactor construcion, it was considered a good candidate to lead off the construction of Westinghouse's recently designed AP-1000.

In 2012 when construction of TVA's first AP-1000 begins, Westinghouse anticipates that it will have broungt its first AP-1000 project in China to a sucessful completion, while TVA will have completed the construction of 2 reactors in the five previous years. By 2017 TVA anticipates the completion of its 4th reactor in a decade. By that time no doubt, TVA will have more nuclear projects on the drawing board.