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October 30, 2009
When it ceased electricity production for refueling on October 26 after 705 days of continuous operation, the Three Mile Island, Pennsylvania nuclear reactor demonstrated “world-class reliability and safety,” according to the Nuclear Energy Institute.
TMI-1 is the first pressurized water reactor power plant in the world to operate continuously for more than 700 days and the second U.S. pressurized water reactor power plant to set a record for reliable operation this year, according to the NIE. In February, Constellation Energy’s Calvert Cliffs 2 in Maryland set the PWR mark at 692.2 days. There are more than 200 pressurized water reactors worldwide.
Located in 31 states, 104 commercial reactors produce electricity for one of every five homes and businesses in America, according to the NEI. The organization’s website reports that the Nuclear Regulatory Commission is now reviewing 13 combined license applications from 12 companies and consortia for 22 nuclear power plants.
The project cargo components needed to build and maintain nuclear power plants in the U.S. and elsewhere are sourced world-wide. However, capacity for making these components is scarce, particularly the heavy forging capacity needed for making the largest reactor pressure vessels, steam turbines and generators; this scarcity often leads to supply bottlenecks. Manufacturers are adding capacity or building in Japan, France, India, China, South Korea, Russia and elsewhere but it will be at least 2012 before any of this capacity is on line, according to the World Nuclear Association.
For example, India-based Bharat Forge and French power industry manufacturer Areva are currently discussing a joint venture for manufacturing heavy water nuclear reactors in India. The two companies early this year created a joint venture for nuclear forgings. The plant site for both ventures has not yet been finalized but is expected to be the Indian region of Gujarat.
Tags:
nuclear power,
nuclear reactors,
project cargo,
reactor vessels
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