Calvert Cliffs

 US utility Constellation has announced investments of about USD100 million to upgrade equipment and electrical systems to enable a potential renewal of the two-unit Calvert Cliffs nuclear power plant's operating licences and a future increase in power output.

Work will begin on many of the equipment upgrades later this month during Calvert Cliffs' annual refueling outage. This year's outage schedule includes refurbishment and replacement of critical pumps, motors, valves and control rod systems, as well as an overhaul of the plant's 13 KV transformer. Constellation noted many of the tasks performed during the outage cannot be accomplished while the unit is online.

The company is also investing USD68 million in 24 state-of-the-art electrical breakers to upgrade the plant's substation and to help enable future customer service on the grid. It said preliminary analysis indicates that further upgrades at Calvert Cliffs could increase electricity production by about 10%. "This would produce more carbon-free power than all the wind and utility-scale solar currently operating in Maryland," Constellation said.

"Calvert Cliffs Clean Energy Center is the largest source of clean, 24/7 power in Maryland and we are making substantial financial investments to keep it running reliably while generating economic development in Maryland," said Constellation President and CEO Joe Dominguez. "With prudent energy policies and customer demand for clean and reliable energy, there is an opportunity for hundreds of millions of dollars of additional investment at Calvert to upgrade the plant and ensure that it can power Maryland for decades to come, supporting thousands of good-paying jobs for families."

Calvert Cliffs - comprising two pressurised water reactors which produce about 860 MWe each - is Maryland's only nuclear power plant. It contributes USD23 million annually in property taxes and employs more than 800 full-time employees. The plant produces about 40% of Maryland's total power generation and 80% of the state's clean power generation.

US nuclear energy facilities are initially licensed to operate for 40 years and a Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) rule allows licensees to apply for initial and subsequent licence renewals of up to 20 years each after the initial 40-year term. The NRC approved initial licence renewal in March 2000, authorising Calvert Cliffs unit 1 to operate until 2034 and unit 2 to operate to 2036.

Baltimore-based Constellation operates 14 nuclear power plants in the USA with a combined generating capacity of more than 19,000 MWe. These are: Braidwood, Byron, Calvert Cliffs, Clinton, Dresden, FitzPatrick, LaSalle, Limerick, Nine Mile Point, Peach Bottom, Quad Cities, R E Ginna, Salem and South Texas Project.