KEWAUNEE, Wis., June 21, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Dominion Energy's
Kewaunee Power Station achieved a significant milestone on
June 15, 2017, when employees working
to permanently decommission the facility safely transported the
last of the used nuclear fuel to a dry fuel storage facility
located on site.
Since the beginning of 2017, employees at the station have been
safely transferring used nuclear fuel from the facility's spent
fuel pool into dry storage containers as part of the company's
ongoing decommissioning effort.
"The Kewaunee team never
wavered on their commitment as professionals in the face of knowing
that, for many, their jobs were coming to an end with Dominion
Energy," said Daniel G. Stoddard,
Dominion Energy Senior Vice President and Chief Nuclear Officer.
"They completed this important decommissioning work with a
dedication to excellent performance that sets the standard for the
industry."
The company permanently closed the 556-megawatt nuclear station
on May 7, 2013, after exhausting
every effort to keep the station operating. "At the time the
decision was made to close Kewaunee, the station was facing the perfect
storm of economic challenges including a weak electrical market,"
Stoddard said. "All of the stakeholders including government
officials worked together to find a solution, but one was not
found. Ultimately Dominion Energy had no realistic
alternative and was forced to close a unit that was no longer
financially prudent to operate."
Kewaunee station employed about 635 employees at the time the
unit was closed. Currently there are 140 employees remaining at the
facility, and 90 of them will end their employment with the company
over the next nine months as a result of completing all remaining
activities to place the unit in a long-term storage condition.
Kewaunee Power Station, located on Lake Michigan about 35 miles southeast of
Green Bay, began commercial
operation in 1974. It operated one Westinghouse pressurized water
reactor. Dominion acquired the station in July 2005. In February
2011, the NRC renewed the station's operating license for an
additional 20 years, until 2033.
Under the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission's regulatory
requirements for the SAFSTOR decommissioning option – chosen by the
company for the Kewaunee station – radiological contamination must
be safely removed and sent to a facility authorized to accept the
material within the 60-year period.
Dominion Energy operates three nuclear power stations – the
Millstone Power station in Waterford,
CT, and the North Anna and Surry power stations in Louisa and Surry counties, Va., respectively. Millstone
produces enough electricity to power more than 2 million homes in
New England and North Anna and Surry power stations generate enough
electricity to power 870,000 homes in Virginia.
About Dominion Energy
Dominion Energy (NYSE: D) is one of the nation's largest
producers and transporters of energy, with a portfolio of
approximately 26,200 megawatts of generation, 15,000 miles of
natural gas transmission, gathering and storage pipeline, and 6,600
miles of electric transmission lines. Dominion Energy operates one
of the nation's largest natural gas storage systems with 1 trillion
cubic feet of storage capacity and serves more than 6 million
utility and retail energy customers. For more information about
Dominion Energy, visit the company's website
at www.DominionEnergy.com.
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SOURCE Dominion Energy