Limerick Nuclear Plant Takes One Unit Offline For Service

POTTSTOWN, PA — Operators removed Limerick Generating Station Unit 1 from service Monday and Tuesday for a planned refueling outage, leaving just one distinctive plume of cooling steam spiraling into the region's sky, station officials said late Monday.

While the unit is offline, skilled technicians will replace nearly one-third of the reactor’s fuel and perform thousands of inspections and maintenance activities.

Most of the work cannot be performed while the unit is online. “This year’s refueling outage represents Exelon’s continued investment in the future of Limerick Generating Station,” Site Vice President Rick Libra said in a statement. “Limerick plays a vital role in providing reliable energy to our region. During the outage we will upgrade equipment and perform maintenance work to ensure the long-term reliability of the plant.”

The outage work will be performed by 800 permanent employees and more than 1,500 highly trained supplemental workers, Exelon said. These additional workers provide a significant boost to the local economy each year.

“We see a 40 percent increase in our occupancy rates during Limerick’s annual refueling outages,” said Jayson Miller, General Manager, Hampton Inn by Hilton in Limerick, Pa. “When we are full we have to refer guests to other hotels in the area.”

Limerick Unit 2 will continue to generate electricity during the Unit 1 outage.

Limerick Generating Station is located approximately 21 miles northwest of Philadelphia. The plant produces enough carbon-free electricity to power approximately two million homes, according to Exelon estimates.