SPRING CITY, Tenn. (AP) — A Tennessee reactor is now complete, making it the nation’s first new nuclear generating plant of the 21st century.

News outlets report the Tennessee Valley Authority on Wednesday morning officially declared the Unit 2 reactor at the Watts Bar Nuclear Power Plant operational after more than nine years of construction and $4.7 billion in expenses.

TVA President Bill Johnson says the new reactor in Spring City will provide TVA a carbon-free, reliable source of baseload power for at least the next 40 years.

The reactor is expected to produce 1,150 megawatts of electricity — enough to power 650,000 homes.

There are now 100 commercial nuclear reactors in the United States. TVA, which operates seven of those reactors, does not currently have any plans to build more. </s> Story highlights TVA is one of the nation's largest public power providers

The first reactor, delayed by design flaws, went live in 1996

(CNN) The Tennessee Valley Authority is celebrating an event 43 years in the making: the completion of the Watts Bar Nuclear Plant.

In 1973, the TVA, one of the nation's largest public power providers, began building two reactors that combined promised to generate enough power to light up 1.3 million homes.

The first reactor, delayed by design flaws, eventually went live in 1996. Now, after billions of dollars in budget overruns, the second reactor has finally started sending power to homes and businesses.

Standing in front of both reactors Wednesday, TVA President Bill Johnson said Watts Bar 2, the first US reactor to enter commercial operation in 20 years, would offer clean, cheap and reliable energy to residents of several southern states for at least another generation.

"If you're in the nuclear business, the sight behind me is a lovely sight," Johnson said. "It's a sight we've been waiting for some years to see, which is steam coming out of both cooling towers, meaning that both units are running. You can hear that turbine rolling. It's a great day."

Read More </s> In 1973, the TVA, one of the nation's largest public power providers, began building two reactors that combined promised to generate enough power to light up 1.3 million homes.

The first reactor, delayed by design flaws, eventually went live in 1996. Now, after billions of dollars in budget overruns, the second reactor has finally started sending power to homes and businesses.

Standing in front of both reactors Wednesday, TVA President Bill Johnson said Watts Bar 2, the first US reactor to enter commercial operation in 20 years, would offer clean, cheap and reliable energy to residents of several southern states for at least another generation.

"If you're in the nuclear business, the sight behind me is a lovely sight," Johnson said. "It's a sight we've been waiting for some years to see, which is steam coming out of both cooling towers, meaning that both units are running. You can hear that turbine rolling. It's a great day."

When the TVA first proposed Watts Bar, the US nuclear energy was in the midst of a golden age as scores of nuclear reactors received regulatory approval during the 1970s. TVA started work on Watts Bar reactors in subsequent years. Before the plant went live, a partial meltdown at Three Mile Island happened in 1979. While no one died, the incident placed the US on high alert, and led to increased regulations that hampered the rapid expansion of the nuclear industry. Seven years later, a far greater catastrophe followed with the major meltdown at Chernobyl, bringing the American industry to a standstill. Following Chernobyl, American utilities behind nuclear reactor proposals faced skyrocketing costs that forced many of those companies to nix those plans. As that happened, though, other major world powers jumped on the nuclear bandwagon. France today gets three-quarters of its electricity from nuclear -- the US only gets one-fifth -- and China recently has pledged to double its nuclear capacity before the decade's end. Faced with rising costs in the US -- as well as the public's growing anti-nuke sentiment -- TVA neared bankruptcy and had little choice but to suspend plans for the second Watts Bar reactor in the late 1980s. Before Watts Bar 2, the last time an American reactor had fired up was in 1996. It was Watts Bar 1--and according to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, it cost $6.8 billion, far greater than the original price tag at $370 million. In the 2000s, some American power companies, faced with growing environmental regulations, eyed nuclear power again as a top alternative to fossil fuels such as coal and oil. A handful of companies, taking advantage of federal loan guarantees from the Bush administration, revived nuclear reactor proposals in a period now known as the so-called " nuclear renaissance ." Eventually, nuclear regulators started to green light new reactors, including ones in Georgia and South Carolina. In 2007, the TVA resumed construction on Watts Bar 2, according to the International Atomic Energy Agency. The TVA originally said it would take five years to complete. In the face of new momentum, though, some environmental groups including the Sierra Club have continued to oppose the reactor's construction following the 2011 Fukushima meltdown "It's 30 years later and billions of dollars over budget, but if it is going to operate we hope it is done safely and properly by TVA," Stephen Smith, executive director for the Southern Alliance for Clean Energy, told the Chattanooga Times Free Press this year. Watts Bar Unit 2 now joins 6 other TVA nuclear units supplying 1/3 of the region's energy - 24 hours a day. #nuclearpower pic.twitter.com/YlZQrQ4u0M — TN Valley Authority (@TVAnews) October 19, 2016 The TVA, which today serves seven different southern states, relies on nuclear power to light up approximately 4.5 million homes. Watts Bar 2, the company's seventh operating reactor, reaffirms its commitment to nukes for at least four more decades, Johnson said Wednesday. In the end, TVA required more than five years to build the project. The final cost, far exceeding its initial budget, stood at $4.7 billion. "After all the construction, all the pre-operational testing, all that's gone on here, today's announcement might seem to be anticlimactic to some," Johnson said outside the plant. "But, to us, it marks the end of one phase of the journey." </s> ABU DHABI - The United Arab Emirates said Monday that one of four nuclear reactors at its debut plant has been completed as it moves closer to becoming the first Arab nation to produce atomic power.

The announcement came after visiting South Korean President Moon Jae-in and Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Zayed toured the $20-billion Barakah plant, the state-run WAM news agency reported. The plant west of Abu Dhabi is being constructed by a consortium led by the Korea Electric Power Corporation (KEPCO).

Sheikh Mohammed described the achievement as “historical” for the energy sector of UAE, which is rich in oil and gas but is looking to increase other sources of power.

The UAE previously announced the first reactor would start operations in 2017 before delaying the start date. The Emirates Nuclear Energy Corporation, which is overseeing the nuclear programme, is awaiting the approvals from the regulatory authority to start operating.

Nuclear and renewables, which currently make up a small portion of the federation’s energy sources, are slated to contribute around 27 percent to UAE electricity needs by 2021.

The second reactor is 92 percent complete, the third 81 percent while 66 percent of the fourth has been completed, WAM reported.

When fully operational, the four reactors will produce 5,600 megawatts of electricity, or around 25 percent of the country’s needs, according to the UAE energy ministry.

UAE says it aims to continue diversifying toward its goal of 50-percent clean energy by 2050. Saudi Arabia, the world’s top crude oil exporter, also has accelerated plans to acquire nuclear energy and is expected to prequalify several international companies next month to bid for building two nuclear reactors. </s> Construction of the first of four nuclear reactors in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) has been completed.

Unit 1 at Barakah Nuclear Power Plant, the first commercial reactor in the UAE, has been built with help from Korea Electric Power Corporation (KEPCO).

The facility will have a total capacity of 5.6GW and will be connected to the grid.

All four units, which are expected to supply up to 25% of the UAE’s electricity needs and reduce 21 million tonnes of carbon emissions every year, are scheduled for completion by 2020.

Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan said: “The UAE Peaceful Nuclear Energy Programme will play a strategic role in the growth of our nation by enhancing our energy security, diversifying our economy and creating employment opportunities for our people, thereby helping secure the future of generations to come.” </s> By Bruce Stanley and Heesu Lee | The Washington Post

The United Arab Emirates, with help from Korea Electric Power Corp., finished building the Arab world’s first commercial nuclear reactor, a milestone in the oil-rich UAE’s effort to curb its reliance on fossil fuels and develop cleaner sources of energy.

Unit 1 of the Barakah complex plans to begin loading fuel in May, South Korea’s energy ministry said in an emailed statement. South Korean President Moon Jae-in attended a ceremony on Monday to celebrate the facility’s completion, the UAE’s official WAM news agency reported.

It wasn’t clear when Unit 1 in Abu Dhabi, capital and largest emirate of the UAE, will begin generating power. The Federal Authority for Nuclear Regulation will issue an operating license for Barakah Units 1 and 2 “when the operator meets all regulatory requirements,” Christer Viktorsson, the regulator’s director-general, said in an emailed response to a request for comment.

Barakah Unit 1 is the first of four nuclear plants that the UAE, with about 6 percent of the world’s proven oil reserves, plans to bring into operation by 2021, the Persian Gulf nation’s Energy Minister Suhail Al Mazrouei said in September. The plants are estimated to cost $25 billion and produce a combined 5,600 megawatts of power. Other Arab countries including Saudi Arabia and Egypt have also announced nuclear projects to help provide power to their growing populations and industries.

The UAE government expects the four Barakah plants to contribute almost 25 percent of the nation’s electricity after they’re all operating, Emirates Nuclear Energy Corp. Chief Executive Officer Mohamed Al Hammadi told a conference in Abu Dhabi on Feb. 28. The UAE currently depends on imported natural gas to generate much of its electricity.

“The UAE Peaceful Nuclear Energy Program will play a strategic role in the growth of our nation by enhancing our energy security, diversifying our economy, and creating employment opportunities for our people,” said Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Abu Dhabi’s crown prince, according to WAM.

Barakah, located on a sparsely populated strip of desert on Abu Dhabi’s Gulf coast, is the first commercial nuclear plant in the Middle East outside Iran. Unit 1, originally scheduled to begin operating in 2017, was delayed until this year “to ensure sufficient time for international assessments and adherence to nuclear industry safety standards, as well as a reinforcement of operational proficiency for plant personnel,” ENEC said in a statement on May 5.

With construction of Unit 1 complete, “the project now shifts its focus to completing operational readiness preparations required to obtain the approval of the operating license,” WAM reported. “The accomplishment is even more notable, given the complete absence of any previous nuclear industry of infrastructure within the UAE.”

In 2009, a group led by Korea Electric won a contract to build four nuclear plants in the UAE. Kepco, as the utility is known, and unit Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power co-developed the reactors being built in Abu Dhabi, known as the APR-1400. The reactor, a so-called generation III unit, incorporates advanced design features that meet safety standards in developed countries like the U.S. and U.K. The first APR-1400 started in South Korea in December 2016, according to the International Atomic Energy Agency.

Construction of the Barakah complex began in 2012. Units 2, 3 and 4 are 92 percent, 81 percent, and 66 percent complete, respectively.

Korea Electric and UAE’s ENEC are partners in the venture responsible for operating and maintaining the Barakah complex. The companies also on Monday said they plan to jointly expand their nuclear business overseas, which includes their ambitions to develop reactors in neighboring Saudi Arabia.

Saudi Arabia, the largest oil exporter, plans to build at least 16 nuclear reactors over the next 25 years at a cost of more than $80 billion. The Saudis also see atomic energy as a way to ease their reliance on finite fossil fuels, but they’re also driven by competition with their regional rival Iran. Opposition to a possible deal for the U.S. to provide nuclear power technology to Saudi Arabia is growing after Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman said the kingdom would develop a nuclear weapon if Iran did. </s> FirstEnergy Solutions announced on March 28 that it plans to close three of its nuclear power plants, including the Perry Nuclear Power Plant in North Perry Village.

In a news release issued early during the evening of March 28, Akron-based FirstEnergy Solutions stated that it notified PJM Interconnection, the regional transmission organization, that two of its Ohio nuclear power plants — Perry and Davis-Besse Nuclear Power Station in Oak Harbor; and the Beaver Valley Power Station in Shippingport, Pennsylvania — will be deactivated in the next three years.

FirstEnergy Solutions, a competitive generation subsidiary of FirstEnergy Corp., said it plans to decommission Perry Nuclear Power Plant and Beaver Valley Nuclear Power Station in 2021; and Davis-Besse Nuclear Power Station in 2020.

The plants are struggling to compete with the cheaper cost of natural gas, according to a previous News-Herald article. The Perry Nuclear Power Plant employs more than 700 people.

“The decision to deactivate these facilities is very difficult and in no way a reflection on the dedicated, hard-working employees who operate the plants safely and reliably or on the local communities and union leaders who have advocated passionately on their behalf,” said Don Moul, president of FES Generation Companies and chief nuclear officer. “Though the plants have taken aggressive measures to cut costs, the market challenges facing these units are beyond their control.”

The total capacity of the nuclear plants to be deactivated is 4,048 megawatts. In 2017, the nuclear units contributed about 65 percent of the electricity produced by the FirstEnergy Solutions generating fleet, the news release stated.

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission has been verbally notified of the deactivations, and a required written notification will be made to the agency within 30 days. In addition, notifications were made to the Institute of Nuclear Power Operations and Nuclear Energy Institute, organizations that support the U.S. nuclear industry.

In the interim, the plants will continue normal operations, as FirstEnergy Solutions seeks legislative policy solutions as an alternative to deactivation or sale.

Lake County Commissioner Jerry Cirino said the announcements of the plant closings coincides with the expectation of FirstEnergy Solutions filing for bankruptcy.

“I believe that this filing will occur this Friday, March 30, preceding the bond default of early next week,” Cirino stated in a Facebook post on March 28. “The timing of both actions fits the narrative we have heard before.”

Moody’s Investors Services downgraded the bond rating of FirstEnergy Solutions on Jan. 23. Moody’s stated it is highly likely the subsidiary will default on a $100 million bond payment in early April that will result in bondholders losing a significant percentage of their investments.

In January, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission voted against a proposal from U.S. Energy Secretary Rick Perry to provide assistance for coal and nuclear energy generators. In its decision, the FERC board pushed the issue down to regional energy markets, which in Ohio’s case would be PJM Interconnection. FERC directed the operators of the regional wholesale power markets to “provide information as to whether FERC and the markets need to take additional action on resilience of the bulk power system.”

The two-year-plus lead time for decommissioning all three plants is needed to make the complex preparations for a potential plant deactivation. These steps include preparing a detailed decommissioning plan and working with the NRC to amend plant licenses, the news release stated.

Cirino, in his Facebook post, urged residents not to panic about FirstEnergy Solutions’ announcement and pledged to use “every ounce of energy and experience” that he has to keep the Perry Nuclear Power Plant open.

“We are just moving into the next phase of dealing with the bankruptcy court, who will determine what to do with the assets of the Perry facility,” Cirino said. “I am hopeful that, with these events behind us, we will be able to drive for a solution that will involve the feds, PJM. FERC and a brand new governor who actually cares about our community.”

>> Perry Schools will lose over $2 million with FirstEnergy property tax devaluation </s> ABU DHABI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — South Korean President Moon Jae-in has visited a nuclear power plant his country is building in the United Arab Emirates, the state-run WAM news agency reported Monday.

It said Abu Dhabi's powerful Crown Prince Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan traveled with Moon to the Barakah nuclear power plant. On the trip, closed to other media, the two leaders declared work on the first reactor at Barakah complete.

The $20 billion nuclear plant is Seoul's first attempt to build an atomic reactor abroad. The first of its four reactors, being built in the UAE's western desert near the Saudi border, is scheduled to come online this year, making it the first nuclear power plant on the Arabian Peninsula. </s> Baku. 14 April. REPORT.AZ/ The groundbreaking ceremony of the first Nuclear Power Plant (NPP) in Turkey was held.

Report informs referring to the Turkish media, the Turkish Energy and Natural Resources Minister Taner Yildiz also attended the meeting.

According to the report, the construction will cost of 8 billion dolllars. The plant will endure 9 point-earthquake. The plant is expected to put into operation by the end of 2016.
The Tennessee Valley Authority completes the Watts Bar Nuclear Plant, the first U.S. nuclear reactor to enter commercial operation in 20 years.