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Milestone reached on second new reactor at Plant Vogtle

In this March 22, 2019, file photo, the construction site of Vogtle Units 4 at the Alvin W. Vogtle Electric Generating Plant is seen, Friday, March 22, 2019 in Waynesboro, Ga. It's not just cutbacks in nuclear plant inspections. Nuclear plant regulators are planning fewer mock commando raids to test plant defenses against terrorist attacks and are considering minimizing some safety warning, part of the rollbacks sought by the industry and gaining traction under President Donald Trump. (Hyosub Shin/Atlanta Journal-Constitution via AP) In this March 22, 2019, file photo, the construction site of Vogtle Units 4 at the Alvin W. Vogtle Electric Generating Plant is seen, Friday, March 22, 2019 in Waynesboro, Ga. It's not just cutbacks in nuclear plant inspections. Nuclear plant regulators are planning fewer mock commando raids to test plant defenses against terrorist attacks and are considering minimizing some safety warning, part of the rollbacks sought by the industry and gaining traction under President Donald Trump. (Hyosub Shin/Atlanta Journal-Constitution via AP)

By Associated Press March 28, 2020 1 min read

WAYNESBORO, Ga. (AP) – Georgia Power says a crews have reached a big milestone in the construction of a second new nuclear reactor at Plant Vogtle.

The 750-ton (680 metric tonnes) top head for the reactor’s containment vessel was lifted into place Friday, The Augusta Chronicle reported. The giant cap measures 130 feet (40 meters) across and is 37 feet (11 meters) high.

Georgia Power called it the final major lift for Plant Vogtle’s Unit 4 reactor and says the project adding a pair of reactors to the nuclear plant in Burke County is now 84% complete.

The $17.1 billion expansion is the nation’s first large-scale nuclear project in more than 30 years The first new reactor is scheduled to go online late next year, with the second one following in 2022.