Vogtle nuclear plant's Unit 4 step closer to completion

The construction of Plant Vogtle's Unit 4, near Waynesboro, Georgia, reached a milestone after a CA04 module, a reactor vessel cavity that will house critical components to the reactor, was installed, Georgia Power said on Monday.

This phase of Vogtle Electric Generating Plant's expansion follows several other projects, including concrete placement for the Unit 3 Annex Building, installation of the Unit 4 pressurizer, and completion of 12 water boxes for the Unit 3 Turbine Island.

Currently, the Vogtle plant has two operating units currently providing power for the state. The company said the completion and full operation of Units 3 and 4 will allow the plant to be one the leading power plants in terms of electricity generation.

The expansion of the plant has brought 5,000 temporary jobs to the area, with 120 needed to complete the CA04 module installation. The module weighs 32 tons.

Southern Nuclear and its parent company, Southern Company, are overseeing the installation and construction of the two AP1000 nuclear generators, with a maximum output of 1,100 megawatts of energy. The generators are owned by Georgia Power, Oglethorpe Power Corp., the Municipal Electric Authority of Georgia and Dalton Utilities.