Peach Bottom Unit 3 returns to service

The Peach Bottom Atomic Power Station in Delta, Pa.
The Peach Bottom Atomic Power Station in Delta, Pa. | Courtesy of Exelon Corp.
Exelon Corp. returned Unit 3 at the Peach Bottom Atomic Power Station in Delta, Pennsylvania to service last week after a planned refueling and maintenance outage that began on Sept. 21.

Maintenance and equipment replacement operations were carried out during the outage, including the performance of tests and inspections to ensure that the plant is operating in a safe manner. Most of this work can't be done safely while the plant is in operation.

“Peach Bottom has a proud history of effective refueling outages, and this year was no different,” Site Vice President Mike Massaro said. “We completed a number of significant upgrades this year that will allow us to continue providing safe and reliable power to the region for years to come.”

Approximately 2,500 people were employed by the plant for temporary work associated with this outage. The majority of the workers live in the area, and the outage was able to provide economic benefit to local shops and restaurants.

As part of Exelon’s extended power update project, the Peach Bottom plant has received comprehensive upgrades to a majority of its crucial components over the past five years. 

The Peach Bottom Power Station houses two nuclear reactors with a generating capacity of 2,700 megawatts.