The Shaw Group Inc. has been awarded a $197 million contract to carry out an extended power uprate (EPU) at Entergy’s Grand Gulf Nuclear Station in Port Gibson, Mississippi. The new contract, which will increase the capacity of the 1350MW boiling water reactor by almost 15% when completed, follows a phase one EPU assessment conducted by Shaw’s nuclear engineering team.
Under the contract, Shaw will provide engineering, procurement and construction services designed to add approximately 178MW of power generation to Grand Gulf. Engineering and procurement are underway with plant modifications due to begin in spring 2012.
“Our long history of nuclear engineering experience combined with our outstanding nuclear maintenance performance places Shaw in the best position to respond to industry demand to provide more energy,” said Fred Buckman, president of Shaw’s Power Group. “Our existing alliance with Entergy enhances our ability to provide them with qualified resources and perform the work needed to license and safely increase power ratings.”
Shaw has been providing engineering and maintenance services to Entergy’s nuclear power plants since 1972. In 2009 it won a new contact to provide fleetwide nuclear maintenance, modifications and capital construction services to Entergy.
Over the past few years, Shaw also has provided engineering studies and related to uprates at several Entergy nuclear plants, including: EPU work at Vermont Yankee; stretch power uprate (SPU) work at Indian Point Energy 2&3 and River Bend; feasibility studies at Grand Gulf, James A. FitzPatrick, Pilgrim Nuclear Station and Vermont Yankee
Overall, Shaw has performed more than 60 uprate projects and studies on boiling water reactor (BWR) and pressurized water reactor (PWR) nuclear units, adding more than 3000MW to the US grid. It also services some 35% of the reactors in the USA.
Related ArticlesOfficial figures show scale of Sellafield MOX Plant losses Sellafield MOX Plant output limited Areva will supply new rod line at Sellafield MOX plant NRC issues draft safety report US MOX facility Sellafield MOX plant to continue operating UK MOX plant to close MOX off the rocks
