TVA crews are working today to restart its newest nuclear reactor, which was shut down Tuesday afternoon over problems with one of the feedwater pumps.
TVA spokesman Jim Hopson said operators at the unit 2 reactor at the Watts Bar Nuclear Plant near Spring City took the reactor offline around 1:53 p.m. Tuesday after they discovered problems with one of the unit's feedwater pumps. The Nuclear Regulatory Commission said the cause of the pump problem is still under investigation, but Hopson said "there were no safety concerns for employees or the public."
TVA is trying to bring the new reactor up to full power for the first time this summer. The unit is undergoing a series of power ascension tests as part of the startup process for a new nuclear power plant.
TVA had planned to have the unit in commercial operation mid year after completing the initial equipment tests and keeping the reactor at full power for at least 20 days. TVA said earlier this year the startup will be a bit delayed. Three years ago, the initial 5-year project originally projected to cost $2.7 billion was raised by another $2 billion when plant workers determined they needed another couple of years to complete work on the new reactor.
TVA began building Watts Bar in 1973 but suspended work on in 1988. Unit 1 at Watts Bar began power generation in 1996.
The newest Watts Bar reactor began initial limited power generation in May, becoming the first new nuclear reactor added to America's power grid in 20 years.
At full power, the Unit 2 reactor at Watts Bar can generate 1,150 megawatts of electricity, or enough power to supply the electricity needs of two cities the size of Chattanooga.
Watts Bar Unit 1 was unaffected by the trip of unit 2 on Tuesday and remains online, Hopson said.