The South Carolina Electric and Gas Company (SCE&G) announced on Thursday that they have installed the first CA01 module at the Virgil C. Summer (V.C. Summer) Nuclear Generating Station.
In order to lift and install the 2.4-million-pound module, one of the largest cranes in existence was needed. This is the first nuclear module of this size to be installed in the U.S.
“Successful placement of this major module demonstrates the progress being made with our new nuclear units that are under construction at V.C. Summer,” Kevin Marsh, chairman and CEO of SCE&G’s parent company, SCANA, said. “Adding more nuclear energy to our generation mix is the best solution for providing South Carolina large-scale energy that is clean, safe and reliable, as well as cost-effective over the long-term.”
With the addition of these two nuclear units at the V.C. Summer Station, the company predicts that its generation mix will consist of 30 percent nuclear power. Both new nuclear reactors will add 1,117 megawatts of electrical capacity a piece.
Prior to this, the company reported that the first portion of shield panels had been placed on V.C. Summer Unit 2, which is one of the units currently under construction.
