Georgia Power’s Vogtle 3 and 4 plants reach key milestone
Plant equipment for the Vogtle Unit 3 power plant in Georgia is now energized, or permanently powered, to perform all subsequent testing for the unit, Georgia Power announced this week.
This represents a significant milestone in the Vogtle expansion as the project moves from construction toward system operations. Previously, the plant had been running on temporary construction power.
“Initial energization is a major first step in transitioning the project from construction toward system operations,” Vogtle 3 and 4 Construction Senior Vice President Glen Chick said. “With energization complete, we can continue moving into the actual testing phase for Unit 3.”
The project is now approximately 77 percent complete. With more than 7,000 workers currently onsite at Vogtle 3 and 4, it is presently the largest jobs-producing construction project in the state of Georgia. Once it is up and running more than 800 permanent jobs will be created.
Georgia Power filed an update with the Georgia Public Service Commission (PSC) to affirm that the schedule is on-track for in-service dates of November 2021 for Unit 3 and November 2022 for Unit 4, with no change to the total project capital cost forecast.
Georgia Power is a subsidiary of Southern Company. It provides energy to 2.6 million customers in all but four of Georgia’s 159 counties. The company maintains a diverse, innovative generation mix that includes nuclear, coal and natural gas, as well as renewables such as solar, hydroelectric and wind.
