FirstEnergy has reported it will need to repair a penetration in the unit 2 reactor pressure vessel head at its Beaver Valley nuclear plant after ultrasonic examination revealed cracking within a weld.
In a report to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission Saturday, the utility said further inspections showed no evidence of leakage. The plant has been offline for refueling since Sept. 24. The RPV head is not currently installed, and repairs are being planned.
A FirstEnegy spokeswoman told the Beaver County Times that the penetration in question is at an opening for one of the reactor's 66 control rods. The alloy used in the weld will be replaced with a more corrosion-resistant metal — a process that is not expected to extend the unit's outage.
Similar problems have emerged at several nuclear plants since 2000, and the nozzle inspections have been required for PWRs susceptible to primary water stress corrosion cracking since 2003. Unit 1 at Beaver Valley was also among several PWRs where inspections revealed nozzle or J-groove weld cracks following NRC actions to address the issue, according to the agency.
FirstEnergy operates two Westinghouse pressurized water reactors at the plant near Pittsburgh. Together they generate about 1,740 megawatts, according to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.