Georgia Power has begun loading fuel into the reactor core of the Vogtle-3 nuclear plant in Georgia with the Westinghouse AP1000 unit expected to enter service in the first quarter of 2023.

During fuel load, nuclear technicians from Westinghouse and plant operator Southern Nuclear are scheduled to transfer 157 fuel assemblies one-by-one from the Unit 3 fuel pool to the Unit 3 reactor core in the coming days.

The fuel load process marks a pivotal milestone toward startup and commercial operation of the first new nuclear units to be built in the US in more than three decades.