Southern Nuclear and Georgia Power this week unveiled the new Hatch FLEX Dome storage building at the Edwin I. Hatch Nuclear Plant near Baxley, Ga. The dome houses portable emergency equipment and adds yet another layer of protection to the robust safety systems for Hatch units 1 and 2.  U.S. nuclear plants, including Plant Hatch, are equipped with numerous redundant safety systems to prevent or respond to emergencies, including backup power resources such as DC battery banks and diesel generators.    

In response to the 2011 Fukushima Daiichi event in Japan, in which that plant lost on-site and off-site power needed to operate its safety cooling systems, industry leaders in the U.S. have worked together to develop flexible, diverse strategies for protecting U.S. plants against such extreme events. These efforts are referred to as the FLEX strategy and include tactics such as FLEX domes.

David Vineyard, site vice president for Plant Hatch units 1 and 2, joined plant employees and Hatch FLEX Dome project leadership for a special event marking the completion of the new facility.

"Safety, and preparation at all levels, is always our top priority at Plant Hatch," said Vineyard. "The dome is the most visible part of the FLEX strategy, but we've also made modifications throughout the plant that further strengthen our ability to protect the health and safety of our workers and the public."

The Hatch FLEX Dome is 39-feet tall, nearly 50 yards wide and features steel-reinforced concrete walls that are 18 inches thick. The building is designed to withstand an earthquake, a direct hit by a tornado, airborne flying objects during a tornado or similar threats. The dome will store portable generators, pumps, communication equipment, refueling equipment, and other resources that might be needed if the power supply to the plant were interrupted for an extended period. The portable equipment would be put into service only in the event other redundant resources at the plant were depleted or damaged.