Joseph M. Farley Nuclear Plant Explained

Joseph M. Farley Nuclear Generating Station
Name Official:Joseph M. Farley Nuclear Plant
Coordinates:31.2231°N -85.1117°W
Country:United States
Location:Dothan, Alabama
Status:O
Commissioned:Unit 1: December 1, 1977
Unit 2: July 30, 1981
Cost:$4.115 billion (2007 USD)[1]
Owner:Alabama Power
Operator:Southern Nuclear
Np Reactor Type:PWR
Np Reactor Supplier:Westinghouse
Ps Cooling Source:Chattahoochee River
Ps Cooling Towers:6 × Mechanical Draft
Ps Units Operational:1 × 874 MW
1 × 883 MW
Ps Units Manu Model:WH 3-loop (DRYAMB)
Ps Thermal Capacity:2 × 2775 MWth
Ps Electrical Capacity:1757
Ps Electrical Cap Fac:96.18% (2017)
85.50% (lifetime)
Ps Annual Generation:14,982 GWh (2021)
Website:Plant Farley

The Joseph M. Farley Nuclear Generating Plant is located near Dothan, Alabama, in the southern United States. The twin-unit nuclear power station sits on a largely wooded and agricultural 1850acres site along the Chattahoochee River, approximately south of Columbia, Alabama, in Houston County.

History

The plant is named after the late Joseph McConnell Farley, an American attorney born in Birmingham, Alabama, who became president of Alabama Power (owner of the facility) from 1969 to 1989 and was later CEO of Southern Nuclear Operating Company; both companies are subsidiaries of Southern Company.

Construction of the plant began in 1970. Fluor Corporation of Irving, Texas was the general contractor. Unit 1 achieved commercial operation in December 1977. Unit 2 began commercial operation in July 1981. The total cost of the plant was about $1.57 billion. On May 12, 2005, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) approved license renewal applications for both reactors at the site. Unit 1's extended operating license is set to expire on June 25, 2037 and Unit 2's on March 31, 2041.

Technology

This plant has two Westinghouse reactors.

Both units are three-loop pressurized water reactors. The facility is cooled using six mechanical draft cooling towers supplied by water from the Chattahoochee River.[2]

Electricity Production

Generation (MWh) of Joseph M. Farley Nuclear Plant[3] !Year!Jan!Feb!Mar!Apr!May!Jun!Jul!Aug!Sep!Oct!Nov!Dec!Annual (Total)
20011,272,4491,024,560631,182601,6061,015,5461,120,9711,242,4531,243,9311,210,190721,817850,7391,224,87212,160,316
20021,264,2351,152,3811,266,2581,212,8291,203,7781,199,0731,234,6441,229,609845,801604,9391,231,1181,240,92213,685,587
20031,278,5941,150,2771,196,601607,2221,139,9201,207,1131,205,5371,241,1481,212,3961,268,7831,190,8101,283,59713,981,998
20041,281,3661,197,109808,327862,6981,270,2111,233,9261,260,6441,261,9831,197,407641,474845,4341,287,40613,147,985
20051,286,0641,163,0631,286,0111,225,9311,239,1201,170,4291,270,2281,270,2401,194,870846,957604,4401,180,98413,738,337
20061,285,9301,166,2731,261,211747,544744,2691,226,0351,227,9931,270,8401,238,1661,287,5211,249,4681,334,37214,039,622
20071,294,1071,169,3121,286,823754,231792,2231,243,3381,280,3381,263,4771,195,090577,333948,9541,292,64113,097,867
20081,290,8341,209,2051,290,8341,221,9831,283,9061,238,1781,084,5481,230,7761,237,470985,916703,3991,296,17614,073,225
20091,297,3191,172,3341,081,158608,4021,097,4281,210,5261,274,0361,273,2521,230,5881,279,7681,159,3241,289,44213,973,577
20101,288,0511,159,2281,272,447673,223857,4791,231,4171,253,4081,264,5361,217,369800,068833,9641,318,49413,169,684
20111,321,1741,052,8421,309,8021,225,5781,293,7141,229,3221,286,4311,283,8541,252,882814,7571,026,2381,334,65614,431,250
20121,213,4241,246,1331,269,067696,5091,318,9591,272,7361,226,1761,307,8551,272,8391,319,8121,285,2281,334,23914,762,977
20131,332,5721,202,4521,280,685834,9681,096,5381,209,2051,300,3811,296,7281,190,963737,5531,285,0921,330,88514,098,022
20141,248,4971,203,1841,325,3431,284,9841,274,5011,265,1571,307,9291,308,7611,266,006906,219861,1761,253,63214,505,389
20151,337,3121,208,2751,212,658637,046958,2161,266,8471,301,3271,306,7151,272,2711,324,6741,124,5501,331,79714,281,688
20161,341,7731,252,9451,328,747818,6231,023,9361,215,4251,307,6581,304,3621,268,047657,319841,7011,326,72013,687,256
20171,318,2001,198,0631,322,9581,279,6261,314,4871,266,1801,303,5801,302,8411,270,068955,678941,9531,330,46014,804,094
20181,332,9151,182,1371,190,346674,758973,6811,251,0611,305,7941,305,3741,113,0571,117,1921,286,7391,331,99214,065,046
20191,334,6031,036,5341,328,289758,4201,218,5601,267,4831,307,2881,309,2081,176,881766,2881,296,9741,336,43414,136,962
20201,336,3161,248,8471,326,9471,262,1351,323,7661,270,4011,307,2121,306,9261,268,701865,323928,9431,330,28014,775,797
20211,339,1211,209,9471,081,831764,4301,340,7351,273,1951,331,0851,331,7001,293,5141,341,2431,318,2391,357,89714,982,937
20221,366,2041,229,0721,357,085830,5661,231,7171,288,9651,337,5251,252,017964,002670,26111,527,414
2023

Ownership

Surrounding population

The NRC 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 Farley was 11,842, an increase of 8.0 percent in a decade, according to an analysis of U.S. Census data for msnbc.com. The 2010 U.S. population within was 421,374, an increase of 6.1 percent since 2000. Cities within 50 miles include Dothan (17 miles to city center).[5]

Seismic risk

The NRC's estimate of the risk each year of an earthquake intense enough to cause core damage to the reactor at Farley was 1 in 35,714, according to an NRC study published in August 2010.[6] [7]

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: EIA - State Nuclear Profiles. www.eia.gov. 3 October 2017. en.
  2. http://www.eia.gov/nuclear/state/alabama/index.cfm EIA State Nuclear Profiles; Alabama Nuclear Profile 2010 Accessed 4 August 2013
  3. Web site: Electricity Data Browser . 2023-01-08 . www.eia.gov.
  4. Web site: NRC: Backgrounder on Emergency Preparedness for Nuclear Power Plants . 2012-03-14 . 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 .