Apr 24, 2002
PPL's Susquehanna Unit 1 Reactor Completes Planned Outage
PRNewswire-FirstCall
BERWICK, Pa.
The Unit 1 reactor at PPL's Susquehanna nuclear power plant in Luzerne County, Pa., returned to service overnight Wednesday (4/24) after completing its 12th planned refueling and inspection outage.
(Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/19981015/PHTH025 )
During the outage, refueling teams replenished about 40 percent of the unit's uranium fuel, enabling the reactor to operate continuously for 24 months before its next refueling. Crews also performed preventive maintenance and made system upgrades to help ensure that Susquehanna safely generates the maximum amount of electricity.
"These planned outages are a crucial part of the operating cycle at Susquehanna," said Herb Woodeshick, PPL Susquehanna's special assistant to the president. "Besides refueling, we take the time to examine multiple plant equipment components and identify actions for current and future outages to ensure plant safety and reliability."
Of the more than 2,300 work items completed during the outage, crews refurbishing the main electrical generator, as well as installed new equipment that more accurately regulates and measures reactor feedwater flow so the unit can generate 14 megawatts more electricity. "These are examples of how we invest in equipment upgrades during these outages to improve our plant's performance," Woodeshick said.
Since its last refueling and inspection outage two years ago, Unit 1 generated about 16 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity - enough to supply 1.6 million average PPL residential customers for a year.
The Susquehanna plant has two boiling water reactors; Unit 1 began commercial operation in 1983, and Unit 2 came on line in 1985. Each reactor undergoes a refueling and inspection outage every 24 months during the spring when demand for electricity is lower than at other times of the year.
The plant, located about seven miles north of Berwick, is owned jointly by PPL Susquehanna LLC and Allegheny Electric Cooperative Inc. and is operated by PPL Susquehanna.
PPL Susquehanna is one of PPL Corporation's generating facilities. Headquartered in Allentown, Pa., PPL Corporation (NYSE: PPL) controls or owns more than 10,000 megawatts of generating capacity in the United States, sells energy in key U.S. markets, and delivers electricity to nearly 6 million customers in Pennsylvania, the United Kingdom and Latin America.
NewsCom: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/19981015/PHTH025
PRN Photo Desk, 888-776-6555 or 212-782-2840
SOURCE: PPL Corporation
Contact: Herb Woodeshick of PPL Corporation, +1-570-759-2285, or fax,
+1-610-774-5281
Website: http://www.pplweb.com/
Quick links.