Two replacement steam generators, manufactured by the Babcock and Wilcox Company in Canada have arrived at FirstEnergy’s Davis Besse nuclear power station in Oak Harbor, Ohio. The 470-tonne steam generators are due to be installed at the 970MW plant during a refueling outage in spring 2014.
Fabrication of the new steam generators began in 2009 at B&W’s 350,000 square foot manufacturing facility in Cambridge, Ontario, Canada. They were shipped across Lake Erie to the Port of Toledo and then transported on rail cars to the Davis Besse site, where they will remain in storage until their installation.
"Installation of new steam generators supports the continued safe and reliable operations at Davis-Besse," said Ray Lieb, site vice president.
The Davis-Besse pressurized water reactor began operation in 1977, and is today responsible for supplying electricity to 40% of the homes and business in northwestern Ohio.
The operating licence for Davis Besse currently expires on 22 April 2017, although in September the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission said that it had found ‘no issues’ that would preclude the renewal of the licence for a further 20 years.
A final licensing decision will not be made until the NRC completes its waste confidence rulemaking, currently scheduled for September 2014.
Photo: The 74-foot long steam generators arrive at Davis Besse (Source: FENOC)
