An investigation begun in 2010 of concrete at the Seabrook nuclear plant continues to move slowly forward, with NextEra Energy telling regulators that testing won’t be complete until 2014.
While its current license will not expire until 2030, the New Hampshire reactor’s relicensing application is already delayed by nearly a year and may be delayed further while the plant develops a long-term plan to manage the concrete after sample testing is complete.
NextEra representatives met with Nuclear Regulatory Commission officials Monday as part of the agency’s ongoing investigation into an alkali-silica reaction found to have weakened some concrete at the plant. The Portsmouth Herald quoted company representatives as saying the strength of affected structures falls outside of current licensing requirements, but that those structures retain their structural integrity. The NRC held the meeting to gather more information about the extent of the degradation, its rate and its effect on rebar.
Testing in an electrical tunnel last year indicated some concrete had lost 22 percent of its strength since it was poured in 1979, but the Herald reported that NextEra described the results as misleading because of varying testing methods. NextEra also reported more cracking has occurred on the external layers of concrete than in concrete around the rebar.
The utility plans to submit an aging management program to the NRC at the end of next month.