DECATUR – The Browns Ferry nuclear plant’s Unit 3 is back online following its scheduled refueling and maintenance outage, TVA announced Monday. The work prepares the unit for a two-year cycle of operation supplying the Tennessee Valley with safe, carbon-free energy, the utility said in a news release.
“The women and men of Browns Ferry have safely performed a significant amount of detailed work with the support of shared resources from our nuclear fleet and contracting agencies,” said Browns Ferry Site Vice President Manu Sivaraman. “With more than 12,000 activities completed during this maintenance window, we have prepared Unit 3 to continue safely meeting the needs of the Valley.”
Work during the outage, which started Feb. 16, included replacing three low-pressure feedwater heaters to enhance the unit’s thermal efficiency, TVA said. The replacements also support TVA’s intention to extend the service life of its reactors. Browns Ferry is the first TVA nuclear power plant to submit an application for subsequent license renewal to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
Browns Ferry Unit 3 is one of three nuclear reactors at Browns Ferry and one of seven nuclear reactors owned and operated by TVA. The authority’s nuclear fleet is the third largest in the nation, providing about 40% of all electricity used by nearly 10 million people in the Tennessee Valley.
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