Citing regulatory delays and equipment awaiting modification from a manufacturer, Xcel Energy is delaying a 12 percent power uprate at its Monticello nuclear plant near Minneapolis.
Xcel filed its application for the uprate with the Nuclear Regulatory Commission three years ago and began modifications to the plant during a 2009 refueling outage. But Monticello is still providing information to the NRC as the nuclear industry gathers data and regulators debate whether the effects of containment pressure ought to be considered when determining how powerful the pumps in emergency core cooling systems must be.
Monticello uses a single General Electric Type 3 reactor with Mark 1 containment first licensed in 1970, according to the NRC.
The company also indicated a set of pumps it planned to install for use in normal reactor operation did not meet specifications and had to be modified by their manufacturer. An Xcel spokesman told the Minneapolis Star Tribune the utility is hopeful it can complete the remaining uprate work during a refueling outage next fall. In total, the project is expected to cost $133 million.