Press Release-09-128, NRC Approves Power Uprate for Calvert Cliffs Nuclear Power Plant

Press Release-09-128: NRC Approves Power Uprate for Calvert Cliffs Nuclear Power Plant

ML092040661
Person / Time
Site:	Calvert Cliffs
Issue date:	07/23/2009
From:	Office of Public Affairs
To:
References
Press Release-09-128
Download: ML092040661 (2)

Text

NRC NEWS U.S. NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION Office of Public Affairs Telephone: 301/415-8200 Washington, D.C. 20555-0001 E-mail: opa.resource@nrc.gov Site: http://www.nrc.gov No.09-128 July 23, 2009 NRC APPROVES POWER UPRATE FOR CALVERT CLIFFS NUCLEAR POWER PLANT The Nuclear Regulatory Commission has approved a request by Constellation Energy to increase the generating capacity of the Calvert Cliffs Unit 1 and 2 nuclear reactors by 1.4 percent each.

The NRC staff determined that Constellation could safely increase the reactors output primarily through more accurate means of measuring feedwater flow. NRC staff also reviewed Constellations evaluations showing the plants design can handle the increased power level.

The NRC's safety evaluation of the plants proposed power uprate focused on several areas, including the nuclear steam supply systems, instrumentation and control systems, electrical systems, accident evaluations, radiological consequences, operations and training, testing, and technical specification changes. For added confidence in the analysis, the NRC staff also conducted independent calculations and evaluations of other selected areas.

The power uprate for Calvert Cliffs, located about 40 miles south of Annapolis, Md., will increase Unit 1s generating capacity from approximately 895 to 905 megawatts electric and Unit 2s generating capacity from approximately 885 to 895 megawatts electric. Constellation intends to implement the uprate by the end of this year for Unit No. 2 and during the summer of 2010 for Unit No. 1.

The NRC previously published a notice about the power uprate application in the Federal Register providing the public an opportunity to comment or request a hearing. No requests were submitted. The agencys evaluation of the Calvert Cliffs uprate is available through the NRCs ADAMS electronic document database by entering ML091820366 on this Web page:

http://adamswebsearch.nrc.gov/dologin.htm.

News releases are available through a free listserv subscription at the following Web address:

http://www.nrc.gov/public-involve/listserver.html. The NRC homepage at www.nrc.gov also offers a SUBSCRIBE link. E-mail notifications are sent to subscribers when news releases are posted to NRC's Web site.