Jenkinsville, S.C., August 9, 2016 – This week Westinghouse Electric Company completed the placement of two modules that are part of the innovative safety systems of the AP1000® Unit 2 currently under construction at the V.C. Summer Nuclear Station.
The AP1000 plant safety systems rely on the laws of nature including gravity, natural circulation and condensation. The plant design harnesses these natural forces to automatically shut down the reactor without human intervention for up to 72 hours. The safety systems are known as “passive” because they do not require operator actions, mechanical equipment or AC power and provide operators with the time necessary to achieve and maintain safe shut down of the plant in the unlikely event of a design-basis accident.
“Our passive safety system design is the fundamental innovation that sets the AP1000 plant apart from other plant designs, providing an unmatched level of safety and security,” said Jeff Benjamin, Westinghouse senior vice president, New Plants and Major Projects. “The AP1000 plant is the most advanced and safest nuclear power plant technology Westinghouse offers today, and we’re proud to be working with South Carolina Gas and Electric Company to build the future of nuclear power here at V.C. Summer.”
The two recent modules placed – CA03 and CA02 – make up the in-containment refueling water storage tank (IRWST) in the Unit 2 containment building. The tank, which holds up to 500,000 gallons of borated water, is positioned above the reactor, and relies on gravity as the only driving force needed to release water to keep the reactor core cool should the reactor experience an unexpected shutdown.
V.C. Summer Unit 2 will be part of a growing, global fleet of AP1000 plants. Seven other AP1000 plants are under construction worldwide, including V.C. Summer Unit 3. Two other AP1000 units are under construction at Plant Vogtle in Waynesboro, Ga. and two each at the Sanmen and Haiyang sites in China.
Westinghouse Advanced Safety Systems Established With Latest Module Placements at V.C. Summer
August 9, 2016
by Westinghouse Electric Company
