Nuclear Regulatory Commissions plans for lengthy lifetimes for U.S. nuclear power plants
THE BIG PICTURE (Infographic): U.S. Nuclear Lifetimes, [ Excellent graph and table on original] https://www.powermag.com/the-big-picture-infographic-u-s-nuclear-lifetimes/ Mar 31, 2020. by Sonal Patel The U.S. has 96 licensed-to-operate nuclear power reactors and two reactors under construction. But the average age of the nation’s 96 licensed nuclear units is about 39 years old. That has been of some concern to the nuclear industry, which has provided roughly a fifth of the nation’s power since the 1990s. About 88 of the 96 reactors have already renewed their operating license once, extending their lifetimes from 40 to 60 years, but the majority of these will be “nearing the end of that 20-year extension by 2029 and will be seeking to renew their license a second time, for another 20-year period,” the Nuclear Energy Institute (NEI) has said.In December 2019, marking a major milestone, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) granted the first-ever subsequent license renewal (SLR) applications to Turkey Point 3 and 4, and then to Peach Bottom 2 and 3 in March 2020, extending these reactors’ operating licenses from 60 to 80 years.
More SLRs are expected this June for Surry 1 and 2. Meanwhile, owing to market conditions, technical issues, political pressure, and financial stresses, nine reactors have retired before their licenses expired since 2013, and an additional six units are slated to retire by 2026. The NEI suggests that half the nation’s nuclear fleet will need to obtain SLRs by 2040 to continue operating or be forced to retire. Sources: NRC, POWER |
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