TVA’s Browns Ferry Nuclear Plant Unit 1 was safely taken offline last Friday for its scheduled refueling and maintenance outage. "Upon completion, the unit will be prepared to provide safe, clean energy to the people of the Tennessee Valley region for its next generating cycle," officials said.
“On August 1 of this year, TVA celebrated the 50-year anniversary of Browns Ferry beginning commercial operation. This achievement is a testament to the dedication of those who support the site across TVA during our outages and during routine operation,” said Browns Ferry Site Vice President Daniel Komm.
“We have planned for this outage for more than three years, and as we begin the work, safety is and will remain at the forefront of everything we do to ensure we continue meeting the commitment we’ve made to our customers during this season of high demand and beyond.”
Officials said, "More than 800 contractors and shared resource employees will support Browns Ferry employees in completing more than 11,000 work activities during this outage that will include numerous inspections, tests, maintenance work and replacements to further strengthen the reliability of our equipment.
"TVA’s ongoing investment at all three nuclear power stations helps ensure the energy needs of the Tennessee Valley region are met for decades to come. This maintenance also supports TVA’s intention to extend the service life of its nuclear 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 1 is one of seven TVA nuclear reactors generating affordable and clean energy across TVA’s seven-state region. 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 region."