The US Nuclear Regulatory Commission staff has approved Exelon Generation Company’s application for an additional 20 years of operation for the Peach Bottom-2 and -3 nuclear power units in Pennsylvania.
The renewed licences authorise reactor operation from 60 to 80 years.
The NRC approved initial licence renewals of 20 years for both units in May 2003, with Unit 2 licensed to operate until 8 August 2033 and Unit 3 until 2 July 2034. Those dates have now been extended by 20 years. The new Peach Bottom-2 subsequent licence expires on 8 August 2053 and the Peach Bottom-3 licence on 2 July, 2054.
The renewed licences authorise reactor operation from 60 to 80 years.
The NRC approved initial licence renewals of 20 years for both units in May 2003, with Unit 2 licensed to operate until 8 August 2033 and Unit 3 until 2 July 2034. Those dates have now been extended by 20 years. The new Peach Bottom-2 subsequent licence expires on 8 August 2053 and the Peach Bottom-3 licence on 2 July, 2054.
Both units are 1,308-MW boiling water reactors. Peach Bottom-2 began commercial operation in July 1974 and Peach Bottom-3 in December 1974.
Peach Bottom has a third unit, Unit 1, a 40-MW high temperature, gas-cooled reactor which was permanently shut down in November 1974.
Exelon submitted the licence renewal application on July 10, 2018. The company said in a statement on 6 March that it had made significant investments in new equipment and technologies to increase Peach Bottom’s generation capacity by approximately 12%. Many of Peach Bottom’s major components, including the station’s high and low-pressure turbines, steam dryers, main generators and main power transformers have been replaced or upgraded.
