The Nuclear Regulatory Commission has approved a request by the Tennessee Valley Authority to increase the generating capacity of Watts Bar Nuclear Plant Unit 2 by 1.4 percent.
The NRC staff determined that TVA could safely increase the reactor’s output, primarily through more accurate means of measuring feedwater flow.
NRC staff also reviewed the TVA evaluations demonstrating that the plant’s design can safely handle the increased power level.
The power uprate for Unit 2, which is located approximately 60 miles southwest of Knoxville, Tenn., will increase the unit’s generating capacity from approximately 1223 to 1240 megawatts electric. TVA intends to implement the uprate by mid-December 2020.
The NRC’s safety evaluation of the plant’s proposed power uprate focused on several areas, including the nuclear steam supply systems, instrumentation and control systems, electrical systems, accident evaluations, radiological consequences, fire protection, operations and training, testing, and technical specification changes. For added confidence in the analysis, the NRC staff also conducted independent calculations and evaluations of selected areas.
The NRC previously published a Federal Register notice regarding the power uprate application in March, providing the public an opportunity to comment or request a hearing. The agency’s evaluation of the Watts Bar Unit 2 power uprate is available through the NRC’s ADAMS electronic document database.