Two-unit Virginia facility could operate for 80 years until 2060
The US Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) has issued a final environmental impact report for the proposed lifetime extension of the two-unit North Anna nuclear power station in Virginia.
The commission said in a statement that there are no adverse environmental impacts to bar the renewal of North Anna’s operating licences for an additional 20 years.
There are two Westinghouse-made 948-MW and 944-MW pressurised water reactor units at North Anna. Unit 1 began commercial operation in 1978, followed by Unit 2 in 1980.
US utility Dominion Energy, which owns the station near Richmond, Virginia, wants to extend the operation term of the two reactor units at the site from 60 to 80 years. An application was filed with the NRC in 2020.
North Anna-1 and -2 already received initial 20-year licence renewals after the expiry of their 40-year design lifetime and can operate until April 2038 and August 2040.
According to public NRC schedules, a final decision on Dominion Energy’s licence renewal application is due in August 2024.
If a second lifetime extension is granted, North Anna-1 will be operational until 2058 and North Anna-2 until 2060.
Earlier this month, reports said that Dominion Energy had issued a request for proposals from leading small modular reactor nuclear technology developers to evaluate the feasibility of deploying an SMR at the North Anna site.
A 2020 state law set a target for 100% of Virginia’s electricity to come from carbon-free sources by 2050.
Dominion chief executive officer Robert Blue told a news conference at North Anna that nuclear power already makes up 90% of Virginia’s carbon-free electricity.
