The US Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) has approved Dominion Energy Virginia’s request to extend the operating licences of the 2GW North Anna Power Station for an additional 20 years.
Located in Louisa County, Virginia, the North Anna Power Station operates two nuclear reactors, generating sufficient carbon-free electricity to power 500,000 homes.
In 2021, Dominion Energy’s Surry Power Station also received NRC approval to extend its operating licence until 2053. Together, Surry and North Anna provide 40% of Virginia’s electricity and account for approximately 90% of the state’s carbon-free power.
To ensure the continued operation of North Anna, Dominion Energy is undertaking multiple upgrades at the facility. These include the replacement of the reactors’ main generators and condensers, the refurbishment of reactor coolant pumps, and the conversion of instrument and control systems from analogue to digital.
The company is also making 80 improvements to station procedures, including increased inspections and equipment testing.
The North Anna units were initially licensed to operate for 40 years in 1978 and 1980. The licences were renewed for an additional 20 years in 2003 following a rigorous federal review.
Dominion Energy chief nuclear officer Eric Carr said: “For more than 50 years, nuclear power has been the most reliable workhorse of our fleet and the largest source of carbon-free power in Virginia.
“North Anna operates around the clock, and generates the reliable, clean energy that powers our customers’ homes and businesses every day. With this 20-year extension, our customers can continue counting on North Anna for reliable, carbon-free power for another generation to come.”
The current licences would have allowed North Anna reactors 1 and 2 to operate until 2038 and 2040, respectively. With the new extensions, they can now operate until 2058 and 2060.
Dominion Energy intends to seek approval from the Virginia State Corporation Commission later this year to recover the costs associated with the licence extension.
The nuclear reactors at North Anna Power Station are three-loop Westinghouse pressurised water reactors, capable of meeting nearly 17% of the electricity supplied to Dominion Energy Virginia customers.
Additionally, Dominion Energy’s affiliated companies are planning to seek NRC approval to extend the operating licences of the V.C. Summer Power Station in South Carolina and the Millstone Power Station in Connecticut to 80 years.
The NRC stated that with the renewal of the North Anna licences, eight commercial nuclear power reactors have now received subsequent renewed licences, allowing operations from 60 to 80 years. Seven more applications for these renewals are currently under review, as per the regulator.
