HOUSTON, May 11 (Reuters) - Entergy Corp is working to restart the 1,176-megawatt Waterford 3 nuclear unit in Louisiana even as officials monitor rising waters of the nearby Mississippi River which could force the plant to shut, a spokesman said on Wednesday.
The Waterford plant, located in St. Charles Parish, is one of three Entergy nuclear plants in the path of rising Mississippi River floodwaters expected to reach the area in a week.
The Waterford station has been shut since April 6 to refuel and to replace the main generator rotor.
The St. Charles Parish director of emergency preparedness said Wednesday that the Waterford plant, along with two refineries in the parish, would likely be flooded if the Morganza Spillway near Baton Rouge is not opened to allow high water from the Mississippi to flow into the Atchafalaya River basin.
Entergy spokesman Carl Rhode said the company is closely monitoring river levels but does not expect levees protecting the Waterford station to be breached under current the government projection calling for the Mississippi to crest at 28 feet (8.53 meters) near the plant on May 23.
'There's been no decision to extend the outage until the crest has passed,' said Rhode. 'We are working to come back under the assumption that we will reevaluate the circumstances closer to May 23.'
However, a river level of 27 feet will affect Waterford's circulating water intake system, used to produce steam to drive the turbine, Rhode said. Without the circulating water system, the plant will shut.
'If it's the safe thing to do, we will shut,' he said.
If the Morganza Spillway is opened, the water level near the Waterford plant would likely not affect the circulating water intake system.
Rising water is not expected to disrupt operations at Entergy's 1,268-megawatt Grand Gulf nuclear station in Claiborne County, Mississippi, nuclear regulators said, but flooding could impede access to the plant.
The National Weather Service River Forecast Center projects the river near Grand Gulf to reach a high of 57.5 feet on May 19, some 14 feet above flood stage. The plant is located at 94.5 feet above sea level.
Near Entergy's 978-MW River Bend nuclear plant in West Feliciana Parish, the Mississippi River is forecast to crest at 65.5 feet on May 22, 17 feet above flood stage.
The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission is also monitoring river conditions and if they worsen, reactors will be shut ahead of time, an agency spokesman said.
Operators have been working to prepare back-up diesel generators and batteries used to keep emergency cooling systems running in the event flooding causes a loss of off-site power, the NRC said late last week.
(Reporting by Eileen O'Grady; Editing by Marguerita Choy)
((eileen.ogrady@thomsonreuters.com; +1 713 210 8522; Reuters Messaging: eileen.ogrady.reuters.com@reuters.net)) Keywords: USA FLOODING/NUCLEAR (For help: Click 'Contact Us' in your desk top, click here or call 1-800-738-8377 for Reuters Products and 1-888-463-3383 for Thomson products; For client training: training.americas@thomsonreuters.com ; +1 646-223-5546) COPYRIGHT Copyright Thomson Reuters 2011. All rights reserved. The copying, republication or redistribution of Reuters News Content, including by framing or similar means, is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of Thomson Reuters.
The Waterford plant, located in St. Charles Parish, is one of three Entergy nuclear plants in the path of rising Mississippi River floodwaters expected to reach the area in a week.
The Waterford station has been shut since April 6 to refuel and to replace the main generator rotor.
The St. Charles Parish director of emergency preparedness said Wednesday that the Waterford plant, along with two refineries in the parish, would likely be flooded if the Morganza Spillway near Baton Rouge is not opened to allow high water from the Mississippi to flow into the Atchafalaya River basin.
Entergy spokesman Carl Rhode said the company is closely monitoring river levels but does not expect levees protecting the Waterford station to be breached under current the government projection calling for the Mississippi to crest at 28 feet (8.53 meters) near the plant on May 23.
'There's been no decision to extend the outage until the crest has passed,' said Rhode. 'We are working to come back under the assumption that we will reevaluate the circumstances closer to May 23.'
However, a river level of 27 feet will affect Waterford's circulating water intake system, used to produce steam to drive the turbine, Rhode said. Without the circulating water system, the plant will shut.
'If it's the safe thing to do, we will shut,' he said.
If the Morganza Spillway is opened, the water level near the Waterford plant would likely not affect the circulating water intake system.
Rising water is not expected to disrupt operations at Entergy's 1,268-megawatt Grand Gulf nuclear station in Claiborne County, Mississippi, nuclear regulators said, but flooding could impede access to the plant.
The National Weather Service River Forecast Center projects the river near Grand Gulf to reach a high of 57.5 feet on May 19, some 14 feet above flood stage. The plant is located at 94.5 feet above sea level.
Near Entergy's 978-MW River Bend nuclear plant in West Feliciana Parish, the Mississippi River is forecast to crest at 65.5 feet on May 22, 17 feet above flood stage.
The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission is also monitoring river conditions and if they worsen, reactors will be shut ahead of time, an agency spokesman said.
Operators have been working to prepare back-up diesel generators and batteries used to keep emergency cooling systems running in the event flooding causes a loss of off-site power, the NRC said late last week.
(Reporting by Eileen O'Grady; Editing by Marguerita Choy)
((eileen.ogrady@thomsonreuters.com; +1 713 210 8522; Reuters Messaging: eileen.ogrady.reuters.com@reuters.net)) Keywords: USA FLOODING/NUCLEAR (For help: Click 'Contact Us' in your desk top, click here or call 1-800-738-8377 for Reuters Products and 1-888-463-3383 for Thomson products; For client training: training.americas@thomsonreuters.com ; +1 646-223-5546) COPYRIGHT Copyright Thomson Reuters 2011. All rights reserved. The copying, republication or redistribution of Reuters News Content, including by framing or similar means, is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of Thomson Reuters.