TVA’s Browns Ferry Unit 3 was safely taken offline on Friday for a scheduled refueling and maintenance outage that will prepare the unit for the next two years of providing carbon-free energy to the people of the Tennessee Valley.
“There is a significant level of planning required to conduct these outages and the work we have scheduled ensures Unit 3 will sustain its performance until the next refueling outage in two years,“ said Browns Ferry Site Vice President Manu Sivaraman. “Safely completing this work is our first priority so that we continue meeting the commitment we have made to our customers to supply reliable power to the Valley.”
More than 12,000 work activities will be performed during this outage that will include feedwater heater replacements and refurbishment of the unit’s waterbox system.
To complete scheduled activities, more than 800 contractors and shared resource employees from other TVA nuclear stations will support Browns Ferry employees in completing the Unit 3 outage.
Officials said, "TVA’s investment in improvements at all three nuclear power stations helps ensure the energy needs of the Tennessee Valley are met for decades to come. These upgrades also support TVA’s intention to extend the service life of its power plants with Browns Ferry being the first TVA nuclear power plant to submit an application for subsequent license renewal to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
"Browns Ferry Unit 3 is one of seven TVA nuclear reactors generating low-cost and carbon-free energy across the Valley. The TVA nuclear fleet is the third largest in the nation, safely and reliably providing about 40 percent of all electricity used by nearly 10 million people in the Tennessee Valley."