Brunswick Nuclear Generating Station Explained

Brunswick Nuclear Plant
Coordinates:33.9583°N -78.0103°W
Country:United States
Location:Smithville Township, Brunswick County, North Carolina, near Southport, North Carolina
Status:O
Commissioned:Unit 1: March 18, 1977
Unit 2: November 3, 1975
Cost:$2.490 billion (2007 USD)[1]
Owner:Duke Energy
Operator:Duke Energy
Np Reactor Type:BWR
Np Reactor Supplier:General Electric
Ps Cooling Source:Cape Fear River
Ps Units Operational:1 × 938 MW
1 × 920 MW
Ps Units Manu Model:BWR-4 (Mark 1)
Ps Thermal Capacity:2 × 2923 MWth
Ps Electrical Capacity:1858
Ps Electrical Cap Fac:94.43% (2017)
75.20% (lifetime)
Ps Annual Generation:15,468 GWh (2021)

The Brunswick nuclear power plant, named for Brunswick County, North Carolina, covers at above sea level about from the Atlantic Ocean. The site is adjacent to the town of Southport, North Carolina, and to wetlands and woodlands, and was opened in 1975.

The site contains two General Electric boiling water reactors, which are cooled by water collected from the Cape Fear River and discharged into the Atlantic Ocean.

Duke Energy Progress is the majority owner (81.7%) and operator of the Brunswick nuclear plant. The North Carolina Eastern Municipal Power Agency owns the remaining 18.3%. In 2015, Duke Energy completed the process of buying the North Carolina Eastern Municipal Power Agency's 18.3% stake at Brunswick nuclear power plant.[2] (Duke Energy completed its merger with Progress Energy on July 2, 2012.)

The Brunswick plants' proximity to the Cape Fear River and the Atlantic Ocean allowed the designers to take in cooling water from the Cape Fear river and discharge it into the Atlantic off the coast of Oak Island. Fish, crustaceans, and other debris are removed from the cooling water via a filtration system. The water then flows through the nuclear plant and discharges into a five mile long canal which passes under the Intra-Coastal Waterway at one point.

Electricity Production

Generation (MWh) of Brunswick Nuclear Generating Station[3] !Year!Jan!Feb!Mar!Apr!May!Jun!Jul!Aug!Sep!Oct!Nov!Dec!Annual (Total)
20011,224,0901,013,268679,9651,207,3601,221,8141,179,3241,230,2691,221,8741,180,5371,245,9511,202,0331,237,06213,843,547
20021,233,7261,086,938636,0641,009,6241,227,9941,212,5711,268,4071,265,7371,032,8121,272,0311,246,2921,285,24913,777,445
20031,246,9331,149,561795,2561,147,7131,341,7181,276,8831,263,8441,330,6361,287,8251,360,8091,191,3141,337,02814,729,520
20041,316,8991,171,955681,7251,202,5071,322,8811,292,7791,297,1601,177,6501,330,8331,365,4561,332,5121,357,30314,849,660
20051,360,5721,147,836777,815795,1961,399,2271,337,3381,223,1581,066,0701,361,5011,379,9731,353,0481,335,01414,536,748
20061,423,2371,275,351738,4471,177,2421,160,0571,325,5601,410,1111,075,5171,319,9781,419,852938,1921,278,54514,542,089
20071,415,5511,290,528756,316804,6441,409,5241,356,8631,408,2501,387,623990,8781,417,3851,374,3561,410,24515,022,163
20081,418,9831,312,323924,848683,5881,402,3281,348,7211,398,7421,361,2211,255,3571,416,796944,7111,417,25214,884,870
20091,415,6381,234,975700,536700,4321,317,3041,290,9991,391,3971,366,066894,8221,337,0781,364,7591,415,80114,429,807
20101,383,3591,076,816695,926722,1331,284,9511,343,8261,388,8881,390,6111,341,9771,404,2361,375,7961,399,96914,808,488
20111,427,0641,271,800795,935904,5341,296,8461,328,5921,383,7271,363,9291,311,9361,394,296765,9741,320,42714,565,060
20121,414,1061,090,610698,940675,0031,332,6571,284,7731,391,7801,377,2751,052,1851,396,6901,213,9421,375,11414,303,075
20131,408,9721,219,629749,575691,867870,8321,354,6331,387,5641,298,1351,350,2681,402,3351,360,7041,361,25414,455,768
20141,413,1341,198,964695,2591,032,4961,399,3681,339,6401,390,4151,384,1791,329,2861,386,5841,367,8471,395,06815,332,240
20151,405,4931,070,545713,5231,224,7401,394,9891,329,1131,390,2821,385,9841,339,8281,407,3341,232,9041,393,84715,288,582
20161,368,4491,004,480804,9471,330,1141,392,8061,343,7811,382,5431,377,4321,337,7301,343,8471,318,0961,384,52215,388,747
20171,391,6301,204,675986,692847,2971,376,4401,326,4461,383,5261,376,9051,336,5081,395,0421,358,2371,386,75715,370,155
20181,346,8741,120,259727,9841,181,2611,399,4061,133,8081,316,7201,387,369906,9201,383,2711,368,0001,355,09514,626,967
20191,361,3201,249,075653,858595,6501,404,9671,314,0151,397,5851,396,0421,161,1631,406,5801,363,7661,412,73514,716,756
20201,413,6551,286,568744,3161,314,2881,405,5661,081,9311,386,794942,0051,294,3421,369,2281,355,3591,412,16815,006,220
20211,404,7321,253,531815,3041,246,9061,107,3401,348,0941,397,3541,386,2211,348,6491,414,8351,375,1251,370,76915,468,860
20221,325,0541,054,029779,3951,181,3431,401,9941,350,7361,400,3241,396,5451,347,7911,413,35812,650,569
2023

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.[4]

The 2010 U.S. population within of Brunswick was 36,413, an increase of 105.3 percent in a decade, according to an analysis of U.S. Census data for msnbc.com. The 2010 U.S. population within was 468,953, an increase of 39.6 percent since 2000. Cities within 50 miles include Wilmington (18 miles to city center).[5]

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 Brunswick was 1 in 66,667, according to an NRC study published in August 2010.[6] [7]

Hurricane Florence

The two reactors at Brunswick were shut down on Thursday, September 13, 2018, prior to tropical storm-force winds from Hurricane Florence impacting the plant. Of the nine nuclear power plants in the path of Hurricane Florence, Brunswick was the only nuclear power plant shutdown.[8] [9] [10]

Brunswick Energy & Education Center

In 2023, Duke Energy inaugurated the Brunswick Energy & Education Center located at the Brunswick Nuclear Plant. The Education Center is located at 8520 River Road SE, Southport,[11] and "features exhibits on nuclear science, electricity, carbon-free energy and the operation of the Brunswick Nuclear Plant".[12]

The education center offers opportunities for scheduled visitors to learn about nuclear power plants, fuel and nuclear operations in general through demonstrations, movies and career discussions etc.

The Education Center at Brunswick is Duke Energy’s fourth Energy Education Center, with the other three located in Huntersville, New Hill and Seneca, S.C.[13]

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: EIA - State Nuclear Profiles. www.eia.gov. 3 October 2017. en.
  2. Web site: Duke Energy Progress completes purchase of NCEMPA generation assets . 2015-07-31 . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20170205081742/https://news.duke-energy.com/releases/duke-energy-progress-completes-purchase-of-ncempa-generation-assets . 2017-02-05 .
  3. Web site: Electricity Data Browser . 2023-01-08 . www.eia.gov.
  4. Web site: NRC: Backgrounder on Emergency Preparedness for Nuclear Power Plants . 2012-02-08 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20061002131207/http://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/doc-collections/fact-sheets/emerg-plan-prep-nuc-power-bg.html . 2006-10-02 .
  5. Web site: 2011-04-14 . Nuclear neighbors: Population rises near US reactors . 2024-08-16 . NBC News . en.
  6. Web site: 2011-03-16 . What are the odds? US nuke plants ranked by quake risk . 2024-08-16 . NBC News . en.
  7. 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 .
  8. News: Hurricane Florence Heads for Duke Energy's Nuclear Reactors. September 12, 2018. Martin. Chris. Bloomberg. September 14, 2018.
  9. News: 'Threat becomes reality': Hurricane Florence begins days of rain, wind. September 13, 2018. KPRC. September 14, 2018.
  10. News: Duke Energy starts shutdown of NC nuclear plant as Hurricane Florence nears. September 13, 2018. News and Observer. Raleigh. Murawski. John. Specht. Paul A.. September 14, 2018.
  11. Web site: Duke Energy to open nuclear energy education center in Southport . 2023-04-24 . Yahoo Finance . en-US.
  12. Web site: Brunswick Energy & Education Center . 2023-04-24 . Duke Energy . en.
  13. Web site: Brunswick Energy & Education Center . 2023-04-24 . Duke Energy . en.