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NuclearPlantJournal.com Nuclear Plant Journal, May-June 2014
Vogtle Unit 4
Update
Vogtle Unit 4
Georgia Power recently announced
completion of the latest major milestone
in the construction of Plant Vogtle units
3 and 4 near Waynesboro, Georgia. On
May 8, 2014 the project team successfully
placed the Unit 4 containment vessel
bottom head (CVBH) into that unit’s
nuclear island. The CVBH weighs more
than 1.8 million pounds, or 900 tons, and
is nearly 38 feet tall and 130 feet wide.
The component consists of dozens of
individual steel plates and was fabricated
on site by CB&I, the project’s contractor.
The CVBH was lifted into place
using a 560-foot tall heavy lift derrick,
one of the largest cranes in the world,
and took approximately four hours. The
placement of this component is the latest
illustration of the continued progress of
the construction of the two new nuclear
units which use state-of-the-art AP1000
technology and are among the first
nuclear units to be built the United States
in 30 years. Once the new units come
online, Plant Vogtle will be the only four-
unit nuclear facility in the United States.
Since the beginning of 2014, the
project has marked several other major
milestones including placement of the
460-ton CR10 module (or cradle) into the
Unit 4 nuclear island in February 2014
and the 2.2 million-pound CA20 module
for Unit 3 in March. The CR10 module,
which resembles a concave bowl with a
hollow center, is the structure upon which
the CVBH rests.
Increased efficiency is being
achieved throughout Unit 4 construction
and can be attributed to the successful
implementation of lessons learned
from previous construction on Unit
3. Additionally, the initiation of the
Operations Control Center (OCC), an
on-site facility staffed 24 hours a day, is
providing a central point for reporting,
analysis and resolution of project
challenges. The meeting of major Unit 4
milestones such as placement of basemat
rebar, basemat concrete, and the CR10
module are direct results of both the OCC
and implementation of lessons learned.
Vogtle Unit 3
On Saturday, March 8, 2014, the
project team successfully placed the
CA20 module into the Unit 3 nuclear
island. Weighing more than 2.2 million
pounds, or 1,100 tons, and towering
more than five stories tall, the module is
the heaviest “lift” of the project to date.
With a footprint of approximately 67 feet
long by 47 feet wide, the critical module
will house various plant components,
including the used fuel storage area.
2.2 million-pound CA20 module
placed into Vogtle Unit 3 nuclear island
Including assembly activities at both
CB&I’s Lake Charles facility and
onsite at Plant Vogtle, the module was
assembled from prefabricated wall and
floor sections and transported to the
site by rail and truck for placement. It
was lifted into place using a 560-foot
tall heavy lift derrick, one of the largest
cranes in the world.
Visible progress continues to be
evident for both units 3 and 4, which use
Westinghouse’s state-of-the-art AP1000
®
technology and are among the first new
nuclear units to be built in the United
States in 30 years. Since Jan. 1, 2014 the
project has marked several other major
milestones including the February, 2014
placement of the 460-ton CR10 module
(or cradle) into the Unit 4 nuclear island.
The Vogtle 3 and 4 expansion is part
of Georgia Power’s long-term, strategic
plan for providing safe, clean, reliable
and affordable energy for Georgians over
the next 60 years. On Feb. 28, 2014 the
Company filed the combined 9th and
10th Vogtle Construction Monitoring
(VCM) Report with the Georgia Public
Service Commission (PSC) which
reports that the construction of the new
units is progressing well with both
units scheduled to begin commercial
operation by the end of 2018. The report
also recapped 2013 project milestones
including the placement of nuclear
concrete for both units 3 and 4 and the
placement of the CVBH and reactor
vessel cavity (CA04) for Unit 3. Once
the units enter service, fuel efficiencies
from nuclear generation combined with
ongoing customer benefits such as the
recently finalized federal loan guarantees,
The containment vessel bottom head for Vogtle Unit 4 is transported for
placement in the nuclear island. May 2014.
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