Unit 2 reactor at Susquehanna Steam Electric Station disconnected for routine maintenance

Published on March 26, 2019 by Dave Kovaleski

© Wikimedia Commons

The Unit 2 reactor at the Susquehanna Steam Electric Station was disconnected from the electrical grid last week for scheduled refueling and maintenance. 

The unit’s refueling outage occurs every two years to ensure that the station runs safely and efficiently. The station’s Unit 1 reactor remains in operation during this outage period for Unit 2.

Susquehanna employees and other workers will perform approximately 10,000 maintenance activities while replacing about one-third of the unit’s fuel during the outage.

“While refueling Unit 2, we will also complete proactive maintenance work to keep Susquehanna generating dependable, carbon-free energy safely and efficiently to meet the needs of our stakeholders,” Kevin Cimorelli, site vice president, said. “Our goal is to complete the outage on time and with zero reportable injuries.”

Susquehanna schedules refueling and maintenance activities when temperatures are mild and power demand is lower, to minimize impact. 

The Susquehanna plant is owned by Susquehanna Nuclear and Allegheny Electric Cooperative Inc. Its two units generate 2,600 megawatts of carbon-free electricity, enough to power two million homes. Susquehanna Nuclear is an affiliate of Talen Energy, one of the largest energy companies in North America. Talen owns or controls approximately 15,000 megawatts of generating capacity in the Northeast, Mid-Atlantic and Southwest regions of the United States.