On June 25, Southern Company subsidiary Georgia Power announced that Unit 3 of the Vogtle nuclear power plant near Augusta, GA achieved normal operational pressure and temperature during the unit’s Hot Functional Testing (HFT) campaign. Over the next few weeks, the new Westinghouse AP1000 PWR’s systems will continue to be tested at normal operating pressure and temperature to ensure that plant systems and equipment conform to technical and regulatory guidelines. Under the HFT program, Georgia Power’s nuclear operators will utilize the heat generated by the unit’s four reactor coolant pumps to sustain the temperature and pressure of plant systems at normal operating levels, and the unit’s main turbine will be raised to normal operating speed using steam from the plant. Operators are also able to exercise and validate procedures as required ahead of fuel load.
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