Indian Point 2 Refueling after Record Run

CORTLANDT, NY – Control room operators shut down Entergy’s Indian Point Unit 2 nuclear power plant Monday morning to begin a planned refueling outage after a two-year run that set a record for power generation.

Unit 2 was online 99.6 percent of the time since returning to service from its prior refueling outage in March 2014. It also set a record for continuous days of operation, at 626, and a record for the amount of electricity generated, at 17.8 million megawatt hours, according to Entergy officials.

“Both Indian Point units continue to operate safely and reliably, and people can be confident we are working to address any challenges to maintain an outstanding record of safety,” said Larry Coyle, site vice president and Entergy’s top official at Indian Point. “Indian Point Unit 2 recorded a remarkably reliable run of service, benefitting millions of New Yorkers with clean, safe energy. We are investing an enormous amount of money during this refueling and maintenance outage to refresh and renew the plant over the next month while it is shut down.”

Entergy officials said the company is investing more than $60 million at Indian Point Unit 2, in addition to tens of millions of dollars in new fuel, to complete the refueling and other important projects at Unit 2.

About 1,000 additional skilled contract workers will supplement the regular 1,000 Energy employees at Indian Point, providing an additional economic boost to the surrounding communities. The contractors represent dozens of vendors, many from outside the area.

In addition to the hundreds of inspections planned over the next few weeks, Indian Point will complete its commitment to install post-Fukushima safety enhancements, adding an unprecedented layer of protection to the plant. Equipment additions include portable electrical generators, pumps, cables and other equipment to protect against an event greater than has ever observed at any US nuclear power plant, officials said.

Indian Point’s other operating unit, Unit 3, is in service at full power and has been online for 90 continuous days. It has experienced several unplanned outages in the past couple of years. Those outages are now being investigated by New York state agencies and are the cause of additional inspections by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.

Indian Point Energy Center, in Buchanan, N.Y., is home to the two operating nuclear power plants, unit 2 and unit 3, which generate approximately 2,000 megawatts of electricity for homes, business and public facilities in New York City and Westchester County.

US nuclear power plants are among the most reliable of any type of electricity generator, operating on average more than 90 percent of the time, company officials said, adding that nuclear plants also help regional electricity grids maintain a diverse array of fuel generation and protect against an over-reliance on a single fuel type.

PHOTO: Indian Point 2014/Entergy newsroom