Hatch nuclear power plant's Unit 2 goes back online

Southern Company said Monday that the Edwin I. Hatch Electric Generating Plant's Unit 2 reactor went back online last week and is fully operational.

Operators at the plant near Baxley, Georgia, systematically shut down Unit 2 on Feb 9. After the shutdown, plant personnel conducted maintenance that could not be completed while the reactor is running. Maintenance included upgrading plant systems and components to enhance efficiency and reliability.

Electricity production resumed on Saturday. As Unit 2 returns to full performance, plant employees will conduct a sequence of fuel rod pattern adjustments. Fuel rod pattern adjustments are required in boiling water reactors to ensure maximum nuclear fuel efficiency.

“Safety is our top priority, and our team is to be commended for completing this outage safely and efficiently,” Hatch Plant Vice President David Vineyard said. “The work we perform during our outages is a significant investment in our facility. Unit 2 is positioned not just for the next 24 months, but for years of continued safe and reliable electricity production.”

Southern Nuclear, headquartered in Birmingham, Alabama, operates six nuclear power units at three plants. Combined, these plants supply more than 4.4 million customers with approximately 20 percent of all energy used in Alabama and Georgia.