Beaver Valley Nuclear Power Station Explained

Beaver Valley Nuclear Power Station
Coordinates:40.6233°N -80.4306°W
Country:United States
Location:Shippingport, Beaver County, Pennsylvania
Status:O
Construction Began:Unit 1: June 26, 1970
Unit 2: May 3, 1974
Commissioned:Unit 1: October 1, 1976
Unit 2: November 17, 1987
Cost:$8.520 billion (2007 USD)[1]
Owner:Vistra
Operator:Vistra
Np Reactor Type:PWR
Np Reactor Supplier:Westinghouse
Ps Cooling Source:Ohio River
Ps Cooling Towers:2 × Natural Draft
Ps Units Operational:1 × 980 MWe
1 × 960 MWe
Ps Units Manu Model:WH 3-loop (DRYSUB)
Ps Thermal Capacity:2 × 2900 MWth
Ps Electrical Capacity:1826
Ps Electrical Cap Fac:95.73% (2017)
80.25% (lifetime)
Ps Annual Generation:14,381 GWh (2021)
Website:Beaver Valley

Beaver Valley Power Station is a nuclear power plant on the Ohio River covering 1000acres near Shippingport, Pennsylvania, United States, 27miles roughly northwest of Pittsburgh. The plant is operated by Vistra Corp and power is generated by two Westinghouse pressurized water reactors. As of 2023, it is the fourth largest employer in Beaver County.[2]

In 2018, previous owner FirstEnergy Solutions filed for bankruptcy and announced the plant would begin deactivation by 2021. However, upon emergence from bankruptcy in 2020 as new owner Energy Harbor, the shutdown of the plant was reversed largely due to then Governor Tom Wolf's decision to join the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative.[3]

In 2023, it was announced that parent company Energy Harbor will be acquired by retail electricity and power generation company Vistra Corp, who is based in Irving, TX.[4]

Surrounding population

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission defines two emergency planning zones around nuclear power plants: a plume exposure pathway zone with a radius of, concerned primarily with exposure to, and inhalation of, airborne radioactive contamination, and an ingestion pathway zone of about, concerned primarily with ingestion of food and liquid contaminated by radioactivity.[5]

The 2010 U.S. population within of Beaver Valley was 114,514, a decrease of 6.6 percent in a decade, according to an analysis of U.S. Census data for msnbc.com. The 2010 U.S. population within was 3,140,766, a decrease of 3.7 percent since 2000. Cities within 50 miles include Pittsburgh (27 miles away, located upriver from the station).[6]

Seismic risk

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission's estimate of the risk each year of an earthquake intense enough to cause core damage to the reactor at Beaver Valley was Reactor 1: 1 in 20,833; Reactor 2: 1 in 45,455, according to an NRC study published in August 2010.[7] [8]

Fessenheim

Beaver Valley 1 was used as the reference design for the French nuclear plant at Fessenheim.[9]

Electricity Production

Generation (MWh) of Beaver Valley Nuclear Power Station[10] !Year!Jan!Feb!Mar!Apr!May!Jun!Jul!Aug!Sep!Oct!Nov!Dec!Annual (Total)
20011,231,0131,102,5161,166,836950,4191,233,9171,121,4621,217,7581,198,702591,6491,025,3471,142,6731,196,94413,179,236
20021,251,304608,2401,153,1871,145,4731,184,8051,192,2721,221,3481,225,8021,154,5331,249,381965,6721,242,68813,594,705
20031,255,9791,055,681697,138603,3731,170,2401,166,6131,236,0251,231,773827,308934,5181,176,6071,263,84312,619,098
20041,251,6571,177,9421,220,3781,188,6121,225,3201,201,0241,220,7721,235,0051,195,867952,187864,3971,260,21813,993,379
20051,255,5761,090,1581,199,215668,9121,207,9871,191,2841,219,2731,223,4961,194,1501,248,4521,213,0071,258,80213,970,312
20061,254,947792,833624,592697,8321,186,0481,191,4461,220,3241,113,2041,172,583653,918944,8441,282,74012,135,311
20071,285,8531,154,0541,261,4401,279,5761,308,7721,224,7961,300,7021,281,5511,075,003757,1421,281,4421,330,53314,540,864
20081,328,3811,211,3751,313,801911,269792,5011,284,2691,326,5771,333,6791,256,5591,245,8611,310,9121,355,95214,671,136
20091,357,8861,216,0231,354,5861,037,877861,3011,294,6491,335,1551,322,1021,297,394900,693689,6641,344,11514,011,445
20101,357,3531,225,0851,353,7521,247,0131,345,0761,290,4461,326,1401,311,5591,294,561678,6791,215,3211,348,57914,993,564
20111,358,2201,223,500794,430945,1821,380,8441,292,8831,322,9721,333,6291,297,7091,353,6371,314,5861,359,03014,976,622
20121,359,4481,272,1321,344,520808,6921,161,7991,292,9391,268,4121,329,8041,110,623671,6371,262,5461,377,60414,260,156
20131,375,3941,178,6301,377,8001,322,9461,269,9061,100,1181,342,4371,348,4371,262,925685,8821,116,4531,398,37514,779,303
2014844,8651,243,0561,395,3771,047,970844,7751,321,4561,364,5241,364,8781,328,8881,252,3141,351,2311,397,97214,757,306
20151,398,2931,261,6721,391,5291,037,656829,2601,269,9251,364,0821,366,4991,174,970703,5611,346,4731,393,85214,537,772
20161,397,6751,094,9831,389,3781,344,2361,377,0251,299,1331,345,4881,347,3021,072,007805,8671,349,7771,396,70315,219,574
20171,394,3001,257,2821,381,3411,064,573899,5971,314,7501,349,9081,357,2331,320,5331,373,2541,207,8541,390,88215,311,507
20181,381,7561,252,6021,380,710949,3951,132,1381,290,4251,260,7961,254,2161,294,6481,049,0571,014,3191,393,39414,653,456
20191,393,3661,256,2031,380,5321,320,7611,366,2441,306,7621,344,2441,353,5681,257,007874,8581,210,5061,392,41915,456,470
20201,391,7321,302,6731,340,253857,9861,206,4581,310,1201,208,5931,363,6031,313,6741,372,3071,338,5121,387,48215,393,393
20211,391,3291,254,4531,374,763862,9251,075,6091,300,6471,352,1211,348,3841,308,693781,423949,7601,381,28914,381,396
20221,387,9281,252,1031,379,4421,333,9661,360,796955,8571,320,3531,348,0941,314,936845,831862,9521,387,76914,750,027
20231,387,0431,251,4491,370,780831,678849,2941,318,2441,350,9511,355,9431,229,1981,337,0871,343,33913,625,006

See also

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: EIA – State Nuclear Profiles. www.eia.gov. 3 October 2017. en.
  2. Web site: Top 50 Employers, Beaver County, 2nd Quarter 2023 .
  3. Web site: 2020-03-13 . Owners of Pa.'s Beaver Valley nuclear power station will keep it open because of state's climate plan . 2024-01-28 . StateImpact Pennsylvania . en.
  4. Web site: Corp . Vistra . Vistra Announces Acquisition of Energy Harbor – Vistra Corp Legislative Hub . 2024-01-28 . en-US.
  5. Web site: NRC: Emergency Planning Zones. United States Nuclear Regulatory Commission. 2019-12-22.
  6. Web site: 2011-04-14 . Nuclear neighbors: Population rises near US reactors . 2024-08-16 . NBC News . en.
  7. Web site: 2011-03-16 . What are the odds? US nuke plants ranked by quake risk . 2024-08-16 . NBC News . en.
  8. Web site: Archived copy . 2011-04-19 . https://web.archive.org/web/20170525170632/http://msnbcmedia.msn.com/i/msnbc/Sections/NEWS/quake%20nrc%20risk%20estimates.pdf . 2017-05-25 . dead .
  9. http://theses.univ-lyon2.fr/documents/getpart.php?id=lyon2.2003.foasso_c&part=76302 Thèse, publiée sur internet, de FOASSO Cyrille (Université Lumière Lyon2 - 2003) "Histoire de la sûreté de l'énergie nucléaire civile en France (1945–2000)" Le concept de centrale de référence : assurer les conditions d'un transfert de technologie optimum - "Dans cet apprentissage de la technologie des réacteurs à eau légère, EDF s'appuie sur le concept dit de «centrale de référence», adopté pour suppléer à son manque de connaissances en profondeur de ce type de réacteurs. Le concept de centrale de référence marque une étape fondamentale dans l'opération de transfert de technologie depuis les Etats-Unis vers la France." "pour Fessenheim c'est la centrale de Beaver Valley qui est choisie comme référence"
  10. Web site: Electricity Data Browser . 2024-01-28 . www.eia.gov.

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