Browns Ferry Nuclear Plant Delivers Record Performance
April 10, 2002
ATHENS, Ala. — TVA’s Browns Ferry Nuclear Plant Unit 3 generated a world-record 17.8 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity, operating nonstop for 669 days. It was the second-longest continuous run of a commercial power generating reactor in the United States, based on information available to the industry.
Browns Ferry workers followed that record performance by setting a U.S. record for the quickest refueling outage, returning Unit 3 to service in just 14 days and 16 hours early today.
“Browns Ferry’s record-setting performance reaffirms TVA’s commitment to excellence in our nuclear operations as well as throughout our business,” said TVA Chairman Glenn L. McCullough Jr. “The people of Browns Ferry continue to demonstrate they can safely deliver affordable, reliable power to meet the needs of the people, businesses, and industries of the Tennessee Valley.”
Unit 3 operated continuously from just before midnight on May 25, 2000, to the morning of March 26, 2002, when operators shut down the unit for the scheduled outage.
“Achieving this level of excellence requires day-to-day attention to detail, forethought, and close tracking and trending of performance,” TVA Chief Nuclear Officer John Scalice said. “That’s not easy to do. I appreciate the work that’s done to ensure safe, long, and efficient operation, and I congratulate all the people at Browns Ferry.”
During the outage, plant personnel refueled the reactor, performed a variety of maintenance and modifications tasks, and completed thorough tests and inspections to help ensure that Browns Ferry continues to operate safely and reliably to meet peak demands in summer and winter.
Browns Ferry Unit 3 has a net electrical capacity of 1,118 megawatts. It operated at 99.3 percent capacity over the 669-day continuous run. Each reactor at Browns Ferry is capable of producing enough electricity to supply the power needs of 650,000 homes in the Tennessee Valley.
The U.S. record for continuous operation by a commercial nuclear reactor is 707 days, set by Carolina Power and Light’s Brunswick Reactor, according to information available to TVA. If that 820-megawatt reactor operated at 100 percent capacity during that time, it would have generated almost 14 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity. The previous second-longest continuous run, until Browns Ferry surpassed the mark, was 668 days, set on July 21, 1999.
The previous shortest refueling outage by a U.S. reactor was 15 days, 15 hours, completed on April 7, 2002.
TVA is the nation’s largest public power producer, and its power system is self-financed. TVA provides power to large industries and 158 power distributors that serve 8.3 million consumers in seven southeastern states.
Media Contact:
Craig Beasley, Browns Ferry (256-729-7698) or TVA News Bureau, Knoxville (865-632-6000)
