Georgia Power announced the latest milestone in the construction of Vogtle 3 & 4 near Waynesboro, Georgia – the delivery of the final reactor coolant pump for Unit 3. The pump, weighing 187.5 tons, or 375,000 pounds, is the last of the four pumps to arrive for Unit 3 at the site via truck from Curtiss-Wright Corporation in Cheswick, Pennsylvania. Reactor coolant pumps are a critical component of the AP1000 design as they circulate hot primary-circuit water within the reactor. 

In addition to the arrival of the reactor coolant pumps, construction progress continues across the site including the setting of CA03 and CA02 inside the Unit 3 nuclear island, which completes the placement of the "Big Six" modules for Unit 3, and the vertical completion of the Unit 4 cooling tower to a final height of 601 feet. The company has posted the latest images of progress at the site in the online photo gallery which includes elevated photos of the Unit 3 and 4 nuclear islands and an updated aerial of the construction site and a view inside the Module Assembly Building where the Unit 4 CA01 module is under fabrication.

The Vogtle project is the state's largest job-producing construction project with more than 5,000 construction workers onsite and 800 permanent jobs once the new units begin operation. Once all four units are online, Plant Vogtle is expected to generate more electricity than any other U.S. nuclear facility, enough to power more than one million homes and businesses.  

The projected overall peak rate impact of the Vogtle nuclear expansion continues to be significantly less than when the project was originally certified due to lower financing rates, other benefits the company has proactively pursued and the fuel savings of nuclear.  The company projects that, even with the new costs and schedule forecast, the peak rate impact will be approximately 6 to 7 percent – which is nearly half of the original rate impact forecast. Of this, approximately 4.5 percent is already in rates. Once the new units come online, they are expected to put downward pressure on rates and deliver long-term savings for Georgia customers.