ML19323A287
| ML19323A287 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | Limerick  |
| Issue date: | 04/02/1980 |
| From: | Youngblood B Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation |
| To: | Crater J AFFILIATION NOT ASSIGNED |
| References | |
| NUDOCS 8004180196 | |
| Download: ML19323A287 (2) | |
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NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION WASHING TON, D. 'a 20555 8
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APP.
210 Docket Ibs. :
50-352 and 50-353 lir. Jim Crater 1211 Temple Road Pottstown, Pennsylvania 19464
Dear Mr. Crater:
This is in response to your March 6,1980 letter concerning the question of building two coal units and stopping construction on the Limerick Nuclear Uni ts.
The construction of Philadelphia Electric Company's Limerick Generating Station Unit 1 is 60% complete and Unit 2 is 40% complete. Approximately $1.2 billion of the estimated $2.6 billion has been expended and most of the remaining costs have been committed to this project due to delivery contracts, etc.
Therefore, little capital cost would be saved by stopping construction of Limerick. Limerick Unit No.1 is scheduled to start commercial operation in 1983 and Unit No. 2 in 1985.
The Electric Power Research Institute's " Technical Assessment Guide," July 1979, estimates the cost of two 1000 IG!e nuclear units constructed at a single site is
$818/kWe, and the cost of two 500 MWe coal units constructed at a single site is
$800/kWe.
These costs are for units starting commercial operation in 1978. The NRC staff has also independently conducted similar studies and has concluded that the capital cost of nuclear units may cost 5% more on a dollar /kWe basis than the smaller coal units. The capital cost of two 1000 ft!e coal units is about 13% less than the cost of nuclear units of equivalent capacity.
If the Limerick Nuclear Units are replaced with coal units, the differential fuel cost over the plant lifetime is $2.5 billion. These costs are in 1984 dollars.
Your letter stated that the Philadelphia Electric Company is burdened with a chronic excess capacity of large order and would not require large baseload units, Limerick Units 1 and 2, before 1993.
Since the Philadelphia Electric Company System is 80% oil, the Limerick Units could be used as baseload units to replace the more expensive oil units.
The Philadelphia Electric Company would save $3.7 billion dollars by substituting power from the nuclear units for the more expensive oil units.
These costs are in 1984 dollars.
In regard to your concerns about high population, present NRC requirements place particular emphasis on emergency planning within the low population zone surrounding the facility, which for the Limerick facility is 1.27 miles.
Efforts are underway within the NRC to review all aspects of emergency planning and any changes or modifications adopted with regard to emergency planning requirements will be implemented during the operating license review of the Limerick facility.
800.4380196
APR 2 1980 Mr. Jim Crater With regard to water supply, the Delaware River Basin Commission has approved a supply of water which is adequate for normal operations. The cooling water required to safely shutdown the nuclear reactors in_ the event of an emergency will'not depend on the continuous flow of water from the Schuylkill River or water diverted from the Delaware River.
The NRC requires that a plant's design include a reserved supply of water which can cool the plant for 30 days without the addition of water from other sources.
Therefore, even the loss of normal water flow from the Schuylkill or Delaware River will not prevent safe shutdown of the facility's reactors.
The extensive geologic studies conducted at the Limerick site have shown that capable faults are not present at the Limerick Site.
Thank you for your concerns about the Limerick Units.
Sincer'el,
- {}, qy oungblood,Chie\\
A
.r B. J.
f-Cos't-Bdnefit ' Analysis Branch.
Division of Site Safety and Environmental Analysis w
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1211 Temple Road Pottstown, Pa. 19/.54 March 6, 1980
Dear Mr. Eisenhut,
I've recently read a~brief prepared by the Pennsyl-vania State Consumer Advocate, which clearly states that Philadelphia Electric does not need the two nuclear reactors being built in Limerick...either now or in the projected future.-
"P.E.C.O. still is burdened with chronic excess capacity of large order."
"It is more economical for ratepayers to absorb the after tax
$700 million invested in Limerick and construct several coal plants."
"The company failed to adjust to changing
-conditions... continued excessive dependence on baseload plants will incur over one billion dollars in unwarranted costs to ratepayers through 1992."
In view of all the additional problems with this site:
high population, earthquake fault, lack of adequate water supply---I feel it paramount to halt construction on this facility immediately.
I think the Nuclear Regulatory Commission has enough to do munitoring present operating reactors and shou 3d not allow construction to continue on units that aren't even needed.
Sincerely, M w b C cb E i-Jim Crater P. S. - This letter was typed on an ' electric typewriter.
The electric came from my wind machine.
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