A panel of outside nuclear experts has reviewed construction work at TVA’s newest reactor and concluded that the plant has been safely built.
The Advisory Committee on Reactor Safety said in its final assessment of the unit 2 reactor at the Watts Bar Nuclear Plant that TVA has adequately addressed all of its key questions about equipment, safety systems and operation.
“There is reasonable assurance that WBN 2 can operate as the second unit of the dual unit Watts Bar Nuclear Plant without undue risk to the health and safety of the public,” the ACRS said in a letter to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
TVA officials Friday heralded the letter as a critical step forward as TVA prepares to finish construction and begin power generation by the end of the year.
“This completes a critical regulatory step in the process to start up the nation’s first new nuclear unit in 20 years,” TVA Chief Nuclear Officer Joe Grimes said. . “This is a major milestone that will bring clean, reliable energy and economic benefits to TVA.”