Nuclear Powerplants on the Catawba
Duke Energy operates two nuclear stations (with two units per station) on the banks of the Catawba River - Catawba Nuclear Station on Lake Wylie and McGuire Nuclear Station on Lake Norman. All of these facilities are located within 20 miles of downtown Charlotte.
The Catawba Nuclear Plant and the McGuire Nuclear Plant each have two Westinghous pressurized water reactors, which is different than the GE boiling water reactor design used in Japan and elsewhere. The pressurized water system used by Duke keeps the radioactive water circulating inside the building that houses the reactor, providing more layers of protection between radioactive material and the public than the common boiling water design. Radioactive fuel assemblies are used three times for 18-month periods each before being retired. Fuel assemblies stacked 13 feet high are stored in a pool of water until cool enough for dry-cask storage. If the plant lost its ability to cool the pool, the water at the Catawba Nuclear station would be boiling within 12 hours, said Steve Putnam, safety assurance manager for the Catawba Nuclear Station.
Duke appears to have a good safety record at these facilities. However, the facilities' proximity to a large population center, location on drinking water reservoirs, and the growing amount of spent fuel stored at the facilities are sources of potential concern. Catawba Riverkeeper believes that recent events in Japan show that the 10-mile Emergency Protection Zone needs to be explanded to adequately prepare the public to deal with potential emergencies. CRF also supports improved security for the nuclear facilities.
On a daily basis, the use of lake water to cool the facilities has a significant impact on the Catawba River. The withdrawal of cooling water for the facilities results in a significant number of fish killls, raises the temperature of the water in the lake, and the net water loss from cooling the facilities (due to evaporation) is the largest net loss of water from the River. Approximately 48% of the net loss of water from the Catawba River is due to cooling nuclear and coal-fired powerplants.
Catawba Nuclear Station on Lake Wylie
Catawba Nuclear Station is located on Lake Wylie in York County, South Carolina, less than 10 miles from Charlotte. Lake Wylie provides cooling water for both Catawba Nuclear Station and Allen Steam Station (coal-fired powerplant). Lake Wylie also provides drinking water to the City of Rock Hill, South Carolina.
The Catawba Nuclear Station is operated by Duke Energy and it is jointly owned by North Carolina Municipal Power Agency Number One, North Carolina Electric Membership Corporation, Piedmont Municipal Power Agency, and Duke Energy. According to an investigation by the Rock HIll Herald, Catawba Nuclear Station has a good safety record and most events that have been reported to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission are routine. Since the startup period in the 1980s when plant was beginning operation, there have been relatively few reports of problems. The plant reported fewer than 20 events in the period from 2005-2010.
The plant has been cited only three times by the NRC. In 1998, operators did not take appropriate steps to address a low-flow problem with an air system. In 1999, two breakers were left off after maintenance, rendering a back-up shut-off system inoperable for about two weeks. In 2005, the plant provided inaccurate reporting in connection with the testing of mixed oxide fuel, which contain weapons grade plutonium. In all three incidents, the NRC found that the violations weren't intentional and that officials took appropriate actions to correct the issues.
Excerpt from article by Jamie Self published in the Rock Hill Herald on March 27, 2011. Read more: http://www.heraldonline.com/2011/03/27/2940696_p2/how-safe-is-the-catawba-nuclear.html#ixzz1HvNx0Ub3
Quick Facts (from Duke Energy)
• Station cost: $3.6 billion
• Station capacity: 2,258 megawatts
• Number of units: 2
• Groundbreaking: 1974
• Commercial operation: unit 1 - 1985; unit 2 - 1986
• Reactor type: pressurized water reactor (PWR)
• Fuel: uranium dioxide
Source: Duke Energy
McGuire Nuclear Station on Lake Norman
McGuire Nuclear Station is located on Lake Norman in Mecklenburg County, North Carolina. The lake provides drinking water for Charlotte and serveral other communities in the area. It also provides cooling water for both McGuire and Marshall Steam Station (coal-fired powerplant). McGuire was the second of three nuclear stations designed, built and operated by Duke Energy. Unit 1 began commercial operation in 1981, followed by unit 2 in 1984.
Quick Facts
• Station cost: $2 billion
• Station capacity: 2,200 megawatts
• Number of units: 2
• Groundbreaking: 1971
• Commercial operation: unit 1 - 1981; unit 2 - 1984
• Reactor type: pressurized water reactor (PWR)
• Fuel: uranium dioxide
Source: Duke Energy
Additional Information
- Library of Information about nuclear power issues in the Catawba basin
- How Safe is Catawba Nuclear Plant
- Duke Energy website - http://www.duke-energy.com/power-plants/nuclear.asp
