Southern Nuclear completes historic installation of fuel-enhancing technology
Southern Nuclear operators at Alabama Power’s Joseph M. Farley Nuclear Plant have successfully completed the first-ever U.S. installation of Lead Test Assemblies with Additively Manufactured Debris Filtering Bottom Nozzles (AMBN), a new technology manufactured by Westinghouse that improves debris capturing, ultimately improving fuel endurance.
“Over the past decade, Southern Nuclear has led the industry in the development and implementation of new technologies that improve fuel resiliency,” said Southern Nuclear President Pete Sena. “The existing nuclear power fleet is the backbone of our country’s clean energy supply, and we are innovating nuclear fuel today to be more robust in order to deliver safer, more affordable, and more reliable carbon-free clean nuclear power for decades to come.”
Among the many redundant safety systems at a nuclear power plant, each nuclear fuel pellet is encased by fuel cladding and resides within the nuclear coolant system inside of the nuclear containment structure, which collectively serve as a fission-product barrier for nuclear fuel. AMBNs are designed to capture debris that could enter the reactor coolant system and damage fuel cladding. This new fuel component design is expected to increase debris capture effectiveness from 65% to 96%, opening opportunities for previously impossible debris filtering properties and supporting long-term fuel reliability.
Westinghouse Electric Company fabricated and delivered four Lead Test Assemblies with AMBN to Plant Farley in the first quarter of 2024. Beyond the technology itself, these Lead Test Assemblies also represent the first time 3D printing has been used for integrated nuclear fuel components for Westinghouse fueled plants in the United States.
“Our additive manufacturing technology is allowing us to achieve breakthrough performance with an immediate positive impact for our customers,” said Tarik Choho, Westinghouse President of Nuclear Fuel. “This significant technology innovation for PWR reactors mitigates the risk of leakage in the fuel rods due to the accumulation of debris, strengthening the safety and efficiency of our customers’ operations.”
Improved fuel resiliency is expected to produce fuel cost efficiencies and improve long-term plant reliability. Southern Nuclear is a recognized leader within the commercial nuclear industry in fuel innovation, including the historic, incremental deployment of enhanced Accident Tolerant Fuel technologies, in which higher-uranium-enriched fuels could extend the length of time between refueling outages, making nuclear power an even more reliable source for the grid.
For more than 40 years, Southern Nuclear has operated nuclear energy facilities safely and reliably, creating carbon-free electricity for millions of homes and businesses. Southern Nuclear operates a total of eight units for Alabama Power and Georgia Power. The company recently achieved commercial operation on Vogtle Units 3 & 4, which represent historic achievements for the nuclear industry as the first new nuclear units to be built in the United States in the last three decades.
###
Southern Nuclear, a subsidiary of Southern Company (NYSE: SO), is a leader among the nation’s nuclear energy facility operators and an innovator in advanced nuclear technologies. Southern Nuclear is an essential part of Southern Company’s energy portfolio, operating over 8,200 MW across eight nuclear energy units in Alabama and Georgia at the Joseph M. Farley Nuclear Plant near Dothan, Ala., the Edwin I. Hatch Nuclear Plant near Baxley, Ga., and the Alvin W. Vogtle Electric Generating Plant near Waynesboro, Ga.
The company recently achieved commercial operation on Vogtle Units 3&4, representing an historic achievement for the nuclear industry and the country. Vogtle Units 3&4 are the first new nuclear units to reach commercial operation and be built in the United States in the last three decades. Southern Nuclear is a recognized leader in the industry in nuclear and fuel innovation, having been the first to deploy Accident Tolerant Fuels and winning over 10 consecutive Top Innovative Practice (TIP) Awards and eight EPRI awards.
For more than 40 years, Southern Nuclear has operated nuclear energy facilities at the highest levels of safety and reliability, generating carbon-free electricity for millions of homes and businesses. The company’s headquarters is in Birmingham, Ala.
Twitter: @SouthernNuclear; Facebook: facebook.com/southernnuclear; www.southernnuclear.com
###