Talen Energy said it had plans to shut down the Susquehanna nuclear power plant's Unit 2 reactor within the next month for what is anticipated to be a brief maintenance outage prompted by the development of cracks in turbine fan blades.
The Allentown, Pa., based company said it would take the unit off line “within the next few weeks” after several years of discourse concerning main steam turbines for both units with the aim of understanding and dealing with very small cracks in the metal turbine blades. The turbines are comprised of many rows of fanlike metal blades and the plant has already begun a multi-year turbine modification and replacement program.
Recently, plant engineers identified an indication of crack development on one blade of the Unit 2 turbine where modifications have not yet been completed.
“This outage will enable us to replace the blade safely and efficiently so we remain prepared to meet the regional demand for electricity, especially during the peak winter season,” said Talen Energy vice president and Chief Nuclear Officer Timothy Rausch.
Susquehanna has determined root cause of the issue and is expected to complete the final permanent modifications on the Unit 2 turbine during the 2017 refueling outage. The issue should be fully resolved in 2018, during the refueling outage at the Unit 1 reactor at the plant.
There is no current issue involving Unit 1 turbine blades that have not already been modified, Talen said. The other turbines on Unit 1 and Unit 2 have previously completed the permanent modifications to address the cracking issue at the plant located about seven miles north of Berwick, Pa. The plant is jointly owned by Susquehanna Nuclear LLC and Allegheny Electric Cooperative Ind. And is operated by Susquehanna Nuclear.
The Susquehanna nuclear station consists of two boiling water reactors with a combined capacity of 2,600 megawatts. Unit 1's operating license, renewed in November 2009, expires in July 2042. Unit 2's licence, also renewed in 2009, is good through May 2044.