Georgia Power begins integrated flush process at Vogtle Unit 3

Georgia Power said Wednesday that workers at the Vogtle 3 and 4 nuclear plant expansion near Waynesboro, Ga., began the integrated flush process for Unit 3, a milestone the company said put the units one step closer to operation.

The process involves pushing water through system piping and mechanical components that feed into the Unit 3 reactor vessel and reactor coolant loops. The integrated flush process will clean and remove foreign material ahead of the initial startup of Unit 3.

“The start of integrated flush is a major step on our path to operations,” Vogtle 3 and 4 Construction Executive Vice President Glen Chick said. “Over the next few months we will work through this process to clean and test the system piping and components that feed into the reactor vessel or reactor coolant loops, which is key to ensuring the successful startup of Unit 3.”

The project involving the only new nuclear units under construction in the United States is now approximately 79 percent complete, Georgia Power said. Other recent milestones include the placement of the containment vessel middle ring for Unit 4 and the placement of three low-pressure turbine rotors and the generator rotor inside the Unit 3 turbine building.

The project workforce is at an all-time high of approximately 8,000 workers. More than 800 permanent jobs will be available once the units begin operating.