Virgil C. Summer Nuclear Generating Station

V. C. Summer Unit 1 is a Westinghouse 3-loop Pressurized Water Reactor. The reactor first began commercial operation on January 1, 1984. The plant cost $1.3 billion to construct (equivalent to ${{Inflation|US|1.3|1984}} billion in {{Inflation/year|US}})– 24 percent less per kilowatt than the average of 13 nuclear plants constructed over the same time period.{{cite web|url=http://www.sceg.com/NR/rdonlyres/0065CB41-32BC-490A-9469-AA2B48053D28/0/VCSummerNuclearStation.pdf|title=V.C. Summer Nuclear Station Fact Sheet|work=Information|publisher=SCE&G|access-date=2013-10-31}}

Unit 1 generates 2900 MW_th (Thermal Megawatts) of heat,{{cite web|url=https://www.nrc.gov/info-finder/reactor/sum.html|title= V.C. Summer Nuclear Station, Unit 1|work=Information|publisher=Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC)|access-date=2013-10-31}} supplying a net output of 966 MW_e (Electric Megawatts) of electricity to the grid.

In 2001, the Summer unit operated at 79.9 percent capacity, producing 6.76 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity. In 2007 it produced 8.48 billion kilowatt-hours, increasing its capacity factor to 100.2 percent.{{cite web|title=(Virgil C.) Summer Nuclear Station, South Carolina|publisher=United States Energy Information Administration|url=http://www.eia.doe.gov/cneaf/nuclear/page/at_a_glance/reactors/summer.html|date=2008-10-03|access-date=2008-11-02}}

Two-thirds of the Summer plant is owned by its operator, Dominion Energy. The remaining one-third is owned by the South Carolina Public Service Authority (Santee Cooper).{{cite web|url=https://www.nrc.gov/reactors/operating/licensing/renewal/applications/summer/summerlra.pdf|title= V.C. Summer Nuclear Station License Renewal Application|publisher=Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC)}}

{{See also|Nukegate scandal|label 1=The scandal originating from the failed expansion nicknamed "Nukegate"}}

Image:AP1000 reactors Virgil Summer Nuclear Generating Station.jpg

On March 27, 2008, South Carolina Electric & Gas applied to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) for a Combined Construction and Operating License (COL) to build two 1,100 MW AP1000 pressurized water reactors at the site.{{cite web | url= https://www.nrc.gov/reactors/new-reactors/col/summer.html | title= Virgil C. Summer Nuclear Site, Units 2 and 3 Application | date= February 9, 2009 | work= New Reactors | publisher= Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) | access-date= 2009-02-13 }} On May 27, 2008, SCE&G and Santee Cooper announced an engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contract had been reached with Westinghouse.{{cite news |url=http://www.scana.com/en/investor-relations/news-releases/sceg-santee-cooper-to-build-nuclear-units.htm |publisher=SCANA Press Release |title=SCE&G & Santee Cooper Announce Contract to Build Two New Nuclear Units |date=May 27, 2008 |access-date=2008-06-20 |archive-date=2008-11-20 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081120084809/http://www.scana.com/en/investor-relations/news-releases/sceg-santee-cooper-to-build-nuclear-units.htm |url-status=dead }} Costs were estimated to be approximately $9.8 billion for both AP1000 units, plus transmission facility and financing costs. The operators filed an application to increase customers bills by $1.2 billion (2.5%) during the construction period to partially finance capital costs.{{cite news |url=http://www.neimagazine.com/story.asp?sectionCode=132&storyCode=2049832 |title=Summer time for AP1000 |publisher=Nuclear Engineering International |date=5 June 2008

| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20110613104140/http://www.neimagazine.com/story.asp?sectionCode=132&storyCode=2049832 | archive-date = June 13, 2011 | url-status = dead

| access-date= April 19, 2017}}

In March 2012, the NRC approved the construction license of the two proposed reactors at the Summer plant. As with the license approval for the Vogtle plant, NRC chairman Gregory Jaczko cast the lone dissenting vote, saying "I continue to believe that we should require that all Fukushima-related safety enhancements are implemented before these new reactors begin operating".{{cite news |url= https://www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-03-30/scana-receives-nrc-approval-to-build-south-carolina-reactors-1-.html |title=Scana Receives NRC Approval to Build South Carolina Reactors |first= Brian |last= Wingfield |author2=Julie Johnsson |date= 30 March 2012 |publisher=Bloomberg L.P. |access-date= 30 March 2012}} The reactors were expected to go on-line in 2017 and 2018 respectively.{{cite web |url= https://af.reuters.com/article/energyOilNews/idAFL2E8ETCU220120329?sp=true |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20180519203701/https://af.reuters.com/article/energyOilNews/idAFL2E8ETCU220120329?sp=true |url-status= dead |archive-date= 19 May 2018 |title=Scana ends dispute over early nuclear costs |date= 29 March 2012 |publisher=Reuters |access-date= 30 March 2012}}

The construction of Unit 2 began officially on March 9, 2013, with the pouring of concrete for the base mat. The placement of the first concrete was completed on March 11, 2013. Unit 2 was the first reactor to start construction in the US in 30 years.{{cite news |url= http://www.world-nuclear-news.org/NN-AP1000_construction_underway_at_Summer-1203134.html |title= Construction officially starts at Summer |work=World Nuclear News |publisher=World Nuclear Association |date=12 March 2013 |access-date=13 March 2013}} First concrete for Unit 3 was completed on November 4, 2013.{{cite news |url= http://www.world-nuclear-news.org/NN-Second-Summer-AP1000-under-construction-0611134.html |title= Second Summer AP1000 under construction |work=World Nuclear News |publisher=World Nuclear Association |date=6 November 2013 |access-date=6 November 2013}}

In October 2014, a delay of at least one year and extra costs of $1.2 billion were announced, largely due to fabrication delays. Unit 2 was expected to be substantially complete in late 2018 or early 2019, with unit 3 about a year later.{{cite news |url=http://www.world-nuclear-news.org/NN-Cost-of-Summer-AP1000s-increases-0310144.html |title=Cost of Summer AP1000s increases |publisher=World Nuclear News |date=3 October 2014 |access-date=6 October 2014}}

On July 23, 2015, V. C. Summer Unit 2 reached a milestone with the successful placement of the CA-01 module, one of the largest, heaviest, and most complicated modules within the Nuclear Island, also referred to as a super module because it was so large that huge submodules had to be shipped from the manufacturer and final assembly was completed on site in the twelve-story Module Assembly Building. Installation of CA-01 was long delayed due to both regulatory and production hurdles related to the module. It was the first of the US AP1000 reactors under construction to achieve placement of this critical module, beating Vogtle Unit 3 to this milestone, and allowing other construction activities in the Nuclear Island to progress that could not proceed until the module was in place. CA-01 is a large structural module that forms the internal structures of some compartments within the Containment Vessel, including the Steam Generator compartments, Reactor Vessel cavity, and Refueling Canal. The CA-01 Module is the heaviest module on site, weighing 1,200 tons, or 2.4 million pounds. Because of how much it weighs, lifting and placing the CA-01 module into the Unit 2 Nuclear Island resulted in the heaviest lift for the V. C. Summer construction project to date.{{cite news |url=http://www.world-nuclear-news.org/NN-Landmark-module-installation-at-VC-Summer-2407157.html |title=Landmark module installation at VC Summer |publisher=World Nuclear News |date=24 July 2015 |access-date=27 July 2015}}

In early 2017 Westinghouse Electric Company revised in-service dates to April 2020 and December 2020 for units 2 and 3.{{cite news |url=http://www.world-nuclear-news.org/C-Westinghouse-reassures-Summer-plant-owners-15021702.html |title=Westinghouse reassures Summer plant owners |publisher=World Nuclear News |date=15 February 2017 |access-date=16 February 2017}} In March 2017, Westinghouse Electric Company filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy because of $9 billion of losses from its two U.S. nuclear construction projects.{{cite news |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-toshiba-accounting-idUSKBN16V04G |title=Toshiba decides on Westinghouse bankruptcy, sees $9 billion in charges: sources |first=Taro |last=Fuse |publisher=Reuters |date=24 March 2017 |access-date=25 March 2017}} SCANA considered its options for the project,{{cite news |url=http://www.world-nuclear-news.org/C-Scana-to-evaluate-Summer-options-3003177.html |title=Scana to evaluate Summer options |publisher=World Nuclear News |date=30 March 2017 |access-date=10 April 2017}} and ultimately decided to abandon the project in July 2017. SCANA had determined that completing just Unit 2 and abandoning Unit 3 could be feasible and was leaning toward that option internally, however the project died when minority partner Santee Cooper's board voted to cease all construction and SCANA could not find another partner to take their place.

On July 31, 2017, after an extensive review into the costs of constructing Units 2 and 3, South Carolina Electric and Gas decided to stop construction of the reactors{{cite news|url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2017-07-31/scana-to-cease-construction-of-two-reactors-in-south-carolina|title=Two Half-Finished Nuclear Reactors Scrapped as Costs Balloon|website=Bloomberg News |date=31 July 2017 }} and later filed a Petition for Approval of Abandonment with the Public Service Commission of South Carolina.http://www.ippjournal.com 5 January 2018: [http://www.ippjournal.com/news/ipptoday-129-dominion-energy-acquires-us-utility-scana-for-us-14-6-billion IPPToday #129: Dominion Energy acquires US utility Scana for US$14.6 billion]

In September 2024, a report from the South Carolina Governor's Nuclear Advisory Council stated "No obvious conditions preclude undertaking completion".{{Cite web |last=Lee |first=Rick |date=16 September 2024 |title=VIRGIL C. SUMMER NUCLEAR PLANT EVALUATION OF THE SITE CONDITIONS OF THE CANCELLED UNITS |url=https://www.admin.sc.gov/sites/admin/files/Documents/FMRE/NAC/VCSTrip.pdf |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241204140927/https://www.admin.sc.gov/sites/admin/files/Documents/FMRE/NAC/VCSTrip.pdf |archive-date=4 December 2024}}

In January 2025, it was reported that Santee Cooper was interested in "seeking proposals for buyers to complete the project" and "will accept proposals until May 5".{{Cite web |last=Thomas |first=Lauren |date=22 January 2025 |title=South Carolina to Reboot Giant Nuclear Project to Meet AI Demand |url=https://www.wsj.com/business/energy-oil/ai-nuclear-power-south-carolina-57b7ad2a}}

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission defines two emergency planning zones around nuclear power plants: a plume exposure pathway zone with a radius of {{convert|10|mi}}, concerned primarily with exposure to, and inhalation of, airborne radioactive contamination, and an ingestion pathway zone of about {{convert|50|mi}}, concerned primarily with ingestion of food and liquid contaminated by radioactivity.{{cite web |url=https://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/doc-collections/fact-sheets/emerg-plan-prep-nuc-power-bg.html |title= Backgrounder on Emergency Preparedness at Nuclear Power Plants|website=www.nrc.gov |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061002131207/http://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/doc-collections/fact-sheets/emerg-plan-prep-nuc-power-bg.html |archive-date=2006-10-02}}

The 2010 U.S. population within {{convert|10|mi}} of Summer was 17,599, an increase of 26.2 percent in a decade, according to an analysis of U.S. Census data for msnbc.com. The 2010 U.S. population within {{convert|50|mi}} was 1,187,554, an increase of 14.3 percent since 2000. Cities within 50 miles include Columbia (30 miles to city center).{{Cite web |date=2011-04-14 |title=Nuclear neighbors: Population rises near US reactors |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/id/wbna42555888 |access-date=2024-08-16 |website=NBC News |language=en}}

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission's estimate of the risk each year of an earthquake intense enough to cause core damage to the reactor at Summer was 1 in 26,316 years, according to an NRC study published in August 2010.{{Cite web |date=2011-03-16 |title=What are the odds? US nuke plants ranked by quake risk |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/id/wbna42103936 |access-date=2024-08-16 |website=NBC News |language=en}}{{Cite web |url=http://msnbcmedia.msn.com/i/msnbc/Sections/NEWS/quake%20nrc%20risk%20estimates.pdf |title=Archived copy |access-date=2017-05-05 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170525170632/http://msnbcmedia.msn.com/i/msnbc/Sections/NEWS/quake%20nrc%20risk%20estimates.pdf |archive-date=2017-05-25 |url-status=dead }}

The Virgil C. Summer Nuclear Generating Station consists of one operational reactor. Two additional units under construction were cancelled on July 31, 2017.{{cite news | url=https://www.nytimes.com/2017/07/31/climate/nuclear-power-project-canceled-in-south-carolina.html | title=U.S. Nuclear Comeback Stalls as Two Reactors Are Abandoned | newspaper=The New York Times | date=31 July 2017 | author=Brad Plumer | access-date=5 August 2018}}

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• {{cite web

| url= https://www.nrc.gov/info-finder/reactor/sum.html

| title= Summer Pressurized Water Reactor

| date= February 14, 2008 | work= Operating Nuclear Power Reactors

| publisher= U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC)

| access-date= 2009-02-13 }}

• {{cite web

| url= https://www.flickr.com/photos/scegnews/sets/72157629244341909/

| title= SCE&G Units 2 & 3 New Nuclear Construction Photo Gallery on Flickr

| work= Press Releases and Photographic Media

| publisher= SCANA Corporation (SCE&G)

}}

• [https://purl.fdlp.gov/GPO/gpo41453 Final Safety Evaluation Report for Combined Licenses for Virgil C. Summer Nuclear Station, Units 2 and 3: Docket Nos. 52-027 and 52-028] Nuclear Regulatory Commission
• [https://fas.org/sgp/crs/misc/IN10750.pdf Rising Costs and Delays Doom New Nuclear Reactors in South Carolina] Congressional Research Service

{{U.S. Nuclear Plants}}

Category:Energy infrastructure completed in 1984

Category:Nuclear power stations using AP1000 reactors

Category:Buildings and structures in Fairfield County, South Carolina

Category:Nuclear power plants in South Carolina

Category:Nuclear power stations using pressurized water reactors