Project expected to be completed in 2031
The only commercial nuclear power plant in the US Pacific Northwest is set for a $700m (€617m) uprate that would add nearly 200 MW of generation capacity.
The single-unit Columbia nuclear power station in Richland, Washington, with a capacity of 1,207 MW, will undergo an extended power uprate that will be done during the plant’s next three biennial spring refuelling outages in 2027, 2029 and 2031.
The project is a collaboration of Energy Northwest, which owns and operates the boiling water reactor facility, and the Bonneville Power Administration (BPA), the federal agency which approved the project.
BPA’s approval, which came after 18 months of analysis, means the project can proceed to its next phase. Over the next six years, Energy Northwest and BPA will collaborate on planning and implementation.
The project is expected to be completed in 2031. It will involve approximately 30 individual upgrades, primarily focused on increasing the size of pumps and motors.
“This is a great value for ratepayers in the Pacific Northwest,” said John Hairston, BPA administrator and chief executive officer.
“Upgrading an existing resource to provide additional reliable energy will help BPA keep pace with its customers’ growing electricity needs and keep rates low.”
The Columbia station began commercial operation in December 1984 with a 40-year operating licence.
In 2012, the plant received a 20-year operating licence renewal, extending operations until at least December 2043.
