6 Feb (NucNet): US-based utility Exelon Corporation will permanently shut down its Oyster Creek nuclear plant at the end of its current operating cycle in October 2018, a statement by the company said.
The statement said Exelon is required to retire Oyster Creek by December 2019 as part of an agreement with the State of New Jersey.
Exelon said it will be working closely with local officials, state agencies, and the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) to plan for long-term decommissioning.
Oyster Creek’s approximately 500 employees will continue to operate the plant until October 2018, Exelon said. Some of them will remain onsite to ensure decommissioning of the facility after it is shutdown, while others will be offered open positions across the Exelon family of companies.
Oyster Creek in Ocean County, New Jersey, has one 619-MW boiling water reactor that began commercial operation in December 1969. It is the US’s oldest operating nuclear plant.
In 2009, the NRC extended the plant’s licence by 20 years until 2029. However, in 2010 Exelon decided to retire the plant 10 years ahead of schedule to avoid making costly environmental upgrades amid difficult conditions in the unregulated power market.
