Georgia Power orders first fuel load for Vogtle Unit 3

Georgia Power, a subsidiary of Southern Company, recently ordered the first nuclear fuel load for Vogtle Unit 3, part of the Vogtle nuclear expansion near Waynesboro, Georgia.

The order is the first nuclear fuel order in more than 30 years for a newly-designed reactor in the United States.

The fuel order consists of 157 fuel assemblies that each measure 14 feet tall.

The fuel will eventually be loaded into the Unit 3 reactor vessel to support the startup. After the initial fueling, approximately one-third of the total fuel assemblies will be replaced during each refueling outage.

The order follows the placement of the containment vessel top, which signified that all modules and large components have been placed inside the unit.

The placement of three low-pressure turbine rotors and the generator rotor inside the Unit 3 turbine building have also been completed.

The project workforce remains at an all-time high with approximately 8,000 workers on-site, Southern Company noted. More than 800 permanent jobs will be available once the units begin operating.