Bechtel has offered its praise and congratulations to the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) concerning their announcement of substantial completion of construction of the second nuclear reactor at the Watts Bar Nuclear Generating Station, the company announced on Wednesday.
The announcement states that over the course of the construction process, approximately five years in working time has been completed at the sight without a day lost to an injury. This reactor became the first to have completed safety related upgrades tied to post-Fukushima standards, and they have been evaluated by the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission. According to the report, the Watts Bar Unit 2 reactor is set to be the first nuclear reactor to become operational since 1996.
"Substantial completion of Watts Bar Unit 2 is a significant accomplishment – for TVA, for Bechtel and for the entire nuclear industry," Craig Albert, president of Bechtel's nuclear, security and environmental business, said. "This was made possible only with the total commitment and teamwork of all utility and contractor employees. This is a historic step for TVA toward preparing to load fuel in the new reactor."
This reactor unit recently underwent comprehensive testing for internal operational systems. Once online, the TVA estimates that the nuclear reactor will be capable of producing 1,150 megawatts of electricity.
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