TVA also planning to submit applications for Sequoyah and Watts Bar
Federal power utility Tennessee Valley Authority announced that the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) has renewed the operating licences for all three units at the Browns Ferry nuclear power station in Alabama, allowing continued operation for 20 years, allowing continued operation through the mid-2050s.
TVA said the renewed licences support its long-term energy dominance strategy and reflect the its commitment to maintaining a resilient and affordable power system.
TVA’s three nuclear stations – Browns Ferry in Alabama, and Sequoyah and Watts Bar in Tennessee – generate over half of the region’s electricity. Sequoyah and Watts Bar both have two units.
“This milestone ensures the [Browns Ferry] plant will continue supplying safe, low-cost, clean, and reliable electricity to more than 2.2 million homes,” TVA said.
All three Browns Ferry plants are boiling water reactor units. According to International Atomic Energy Agency data, Units 1 and 2 have a net capacity of 1,200 MW and Unit 3 of 1,210 MW. They began commercial operation in 1974 (Unit 1), 1975 (Unit 2) and 1977 (Unit 3).
In 2022, TVA’s board authorised the company to begin the process of applying for a subsequent licence renewal.
TVA is in the process of upgrading its nuclear plants, work which includes over 400 projects aimed at improving performance and efficiency across its nuclear fleet. These upgrades are expected to add up to 244 MW of additional generation over the next 10-15 years – equivalent to bringing a small modular reactor online.
Key elements of the initiative include replacement of low-pressure turbines, feedwater heaters, and moisture separator reheaters; and design and fabrication improvements to optimise steam system efficiency
TVA also said it will submit subsequent licence renewal applications for the Sequoyah and Watts Bar nuclear plants.
TVA has submitted an application to the NRC to construct a GE Vernova Hitachi Nuclear Energy (GVH) BWRX-300 small modular reactor (SMR) at the Clinch River site in Oak Ridge, Tennessee – the first construction permit application for a BWRX-300 in the US.
It ha also signed an agreement with Entra1 Energy to collaborate on providing TVA with up to 6 GW of new nuclear generation through the deployment of six Entra1 reactor units.
Aerial view of the Browns Ferry nuclear station. Courtesy Jody Cox/TVA.
