Cranberry Township, PA, April 29, 2024 – Today, the second U.S.-based Gen III+ advanced nuclear Westinghouse AP1000® reactor entered commercial operation at Plant Vogtle, near Waynesboro, Georgia. Westinghouse congratulates Southern Company, Georgia Power and the project partners for this major milestone at Vogtle Unit 4.
Vogtle Unit 4 has entered commercial operation in April 2024 - Image courtesy of Georgia Power © 2024.
Alongside Vogtle Unit 3, which entered commercial operation in July 2023, and the site’s two existing pressurized water reactors, Unit 4 will play a critical role in securing a carbon-free future for the U.S. Units 3 and 4 can each generate enough electricity to power an estimated 500,000 households and businesses. Nuclear energy is emission free, and the new units are expected to provide reliable power throughout the region for the next 60-80 years. The AP1000 units at Vogtle are the first new nuclear build projects in the U.S. in more than 30 years and are operated by Southern Nuclear.
“I am proud to announce the successful deployment of AP1000 technology for Vogtle Unit 4, making Plant Vogtle the largest source of clean energy in the United States,” said Patrick Fragman, Westinghouse President & CEO. “As Unit 4 joins our global fleet of proven, state-of-the-art AP1000 reactors, I applaud the dedicated Vogtle team whose relentless work and continuous effort made this project a success. We are honored by the trust placed in Westinghouse by our customers throughout this project.”
Vogtle Units 3 and 4 were built using the most technologically advanced nuclear reactor technology available today – the AP1000 reactor. With all four units online, the Plant Vogtle site is now the largest generator of clean energy in the United States. Today, our globally deployed AP1000 reactor fleet transforms the global energy landscape and advances a transition to zero-emission energy systems.
The AP1000 reactor is the only operating Generation III+ reactor with fully passive safety systems, modular construction design and the smallest footprint per MWe on the market. In addition to the two operating AP1000 units at the Vogtle site in Georgia, four AP1000 reactors are currently setting operational performance and availability records in China with eight additional reactors under construction. The AP1000 technology has been selected for the nuclear energy programs in Poland, Ukraine and Bulgaria, and is also under consideration at multiple other sites in Central and Eastern Europe, the UK, India and North America.
