Millstone Nuclear Power Plant
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The Millstone nuclear power station is the only nuclear power plant in the U.S. state of Connecticut. It is located on a former quarry in Niantic Bay, Waterford, after which it is named. It consists of three reactors, a disused boiling water reactor and pressurized water reactor two active units. The two active units have an operating capacity of 2,020 MW. In terms of production capacity Millstone is the largest power company in New England, are also the two active reactors, the two largest in New England.
History
The power plant site has a size of 2 km ². The complex was built by a consortium of energy companies on Niantic Bay, which is located on the Long Iceland Straits and the Atlantic Ocean. The latter provides the cooling water for the power plant.
Although located in Waterford, Millstone is best seen from Niantic. It is visible from the beach promenade of Niantic Niantic River Bridge and from, as well as Amtrak train passengers on the NEC line which drives past the Niantic Bay.
In block 1 is a boiling water reactor. Blocks 2 and 3, both pressurized water reactors (one of Westinghouse and Combustion Engineering ), were founded in 2000 by Northeast Utilities sold to Dominion Resources.
On 28 November 2005, the blocks 2 and 3 has been granted for a 22 -month application and evaluation process, a 20-year term extension by the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
The nuclear power plant consumed for cooling almost 50,000 hectoliters per minute. In the spawning season, in order to protect the local fish stocks, the reactor power decreases. The original operating license for the operation of Unit 2 expires in 2015. It is currently being considered part of the government of the State of Connecticut, whether Millstone must be retrofitted with an active cooling system in the form of cooling towers. If this is the case, would have three cooling towers to be built - one for block 2 and block 3 for two costs would amount to one billion U.S. dollars, so Dominion spokesman Ken Holt. Similar circumstances have the Oyster Creek nuclear power plant, the oldest nuclear power plant in the United States, already led to a shortening of the duration to ten years. The active blocks of the Millstone nuclear power plant, therefore, are classified according to a report by Mark Cooper of the 12 nuclear power plants in the United States who are most at risk of being shut down in the coming years.
Reactor blocks and data
Block 1
Millstone 1 was a General Electric boiling water reactor with an operating power of 660 MW. He was shut down in November 1995 and finally closed down in July 1998.
Block 2
In Millstone 2 is a Combustion Engineering pressurized water reactor, which was built in the 1970s. Its operating capacity is 870 MW. It is equipped with two vapor pressure producers and four reactor coolant pumps. For the selection of fuels in October 2006, a new printer carrier was installed by the operator.
Block 3
Millstone 3 is a Westinghouse pressurized water reactor, which was established in 1986 for the first time approached and has an operating capacity of 1150 MW.
- August 9, 1974: granted planning permission
- January 23, 1986: First criticality
- April 23, 1986: Commercial Operation
- November 28, 2005: 20- year term extension granted
- November 25, 2025: the end of the operating license
- November 25, 2045: end of the extended operating license
Incidents
On February 26, 1996, a leaky safety valve for closure of Units 1 and 2 In the subsequent test numerous deficiencies were discovered.
In September 2009, block 2 has been shut down after a storm caused power fluctuations. As workers tried again to move to the block, they discovered a leak in the reactor coolant pump.
- December 21, 2009 Millstone 3: accident, reactor scram for more than 72 hours.
- July 27, 2009 Millstone 2: Breakdown, reactor scram for more than 72 hours.
- August 9, 2013 Millstone 3: Fault, reactor scram due to a malfunction.