Under a recent agreement between FirstEnergy, the us utility, and EnergySolutions, all licences and assets for unit 2 at three mile island, Pennsylvania, will be transferred to a subsidiary of EnergySolutions. The reactor suffered a partial meltdown in 1979 and was never reopened before it was decommissioned.
The contract was signed by EnergySolutions and first energy subsidiary GPU nuclear, metropolitan Edison, jersey central power and lighting, and Pennsylvania power. Under the agreement, obligations for the plant, property, nuclear decommissioning trust, nuclear plant license and decommissioning of three mile island 2 (tmi-2) will be transferred to energy solutions' tmi-2 solutions, LLC.
The agreement also facilitated applications to the nuclear regulatory commission and the New Jersey public utilities commission for approval of the transfer, which led to the decommissioning of the tmi-2.In the early 1980s, 99 percent of the nuclear fuel was removed from the tmi-2, packaged and transported to storage facilities at the Idaho national laboratory. The device has been in safe and stable storage conditions for the past 26 years.
"The tmi-2 transfer exempts FirstEnergy from any future nuclear decommissioning obligations and is consistent with our strategy of focusing on regulated utility operations," said Greg Halnon, President and chief nuclear operator at GPU nuclear. "Energy solutions will complete the final repair work to transition the tmi-2 from a secure and stable storage environment to a fully decommissioned facility.
"To complete the decommissioning of tmi-2, energy solutions and Jingoli, a New Jersey construction firm, formed a joint venture called ES/Jingoli decommissioning, LLC. From early construction, construction management, project control to retirement, the company has accumulated rich experience in the field of nuclear power.
"We are pleased to have the opportunity to safely decommission the no. 2 reactor at three mile island and restore the area to its natural state," said Ken roebuck, President and CEO of energy solutions. "We currently have four retirement projects, two of which will be completed in the next six months. Each program provides valuable lessons, including best practices and lessons learned, that we will incorporate into this program to safely decommission the facility.
"Energy solutions is currently working on decommissioning projects at the zion nuclear power plant in Illinois and the la crosse nuclear power plant in Wisconsin. Both projects are expected to be completed by early 2020. It will also close plants in San Onofre, calif., and Fort Calhoun, neb. In may, energy solutions completed the retirement of the southwest Arkansas experimental fast oxidation reactor (SEFOR).
The three mile island 1 reactor was shut down last month for economic reasons after 45 years of construction. In may, the owner, Exelon Generation, finally decided to shut down the facility after it became clear that Pennsylvania would not be able to develop a policy in time to recognize nuclear's contribution to zero-carbon energy production to protect the facility. The 819 MWe (net) PWR began commercial operation in September 1974 and was allowed to operate until 2034. The company has opted for SAFSTOR's deferred removal option and has said it plans to convert the used fuel into on-site used fuel pools and then dry out the barrels by the end of 2022. (From CNNPN)