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STP Unit 2Returns to Service
After Safe, Successful Outage

Wadsworth, Texas–May6, 2010 – Applying more than 550 lessons learned from a similar outage last fall, STP Nuclear Operating Company safely and successfully refueled Unit 2 and replaced the reactor’s vessel head. STP is the first facility in the world to replace a rapid refueling, integrated vessel head and associated cabling in a single outage.

This was the company’s fourth consecutive accident-free outage. STP Unit 2 was returned to full power operation on Wednesday, May 5, ahead of the originally planned schedule of 37 days.

“Through outstanding teamwork and the implementation of an extensive lessons learned process from a similar outage in Unit 1 last fall, our team shaved two weeks off our outage duration – from 49 to 35 days,” said STP President and Chief Executive Officer Ed Halpin. “Most importantly, our team safely and efficiently completed a large scope of work that prepares the unit to run continuously until its next refueling, about 18 months from now.

“The ability to apply lessons learned from last fall’s outage shows the true caliber of our team and the propensity to be a strong learning organization that is focused on safety first."

Major plant components were replaced during the outage, including the reactor vessel head, which is 38 feet long, 18 feet wide and weighs 192 tons, as much as a Boeing 747-400. All vessel head cables, totaling 100,000 feet – nearly 19 miles – were also replaced. The head replacement work was completed in 15 days, averaging more than a mile of cabling replaced each day, in collaboration with experts from Westinghouse.

The integrated vessel head replacement in Unit 1 last fall took longer than anticipated due to equipment issues stemming from installation in 1985. However, lessons learned in that outage enabled STP to safely pare two weeks off the project this spring and to complete it ahead of schedule.

A main transformer also was replaced during the Unit 2 outage, main steam valves were modified to improve their performance, and other major and minor modifications were made to enhance equipment reliability. Numerous plant systems and components were tested and inspected, and about one-third of the reactor’s fuel assemblies were replaced with new ones.

“Safety is our highest priority,” said Halpin. “Through preparation and planning, our team efficiently worked through a major work scope that included more than 12,000 maintenance, testing and inspection tasks. We had 1,300 contractor teammates – many were local MatagordaCounty residents – join us for this outage. We appreciate their support and are proud of each and every team member. They have once again helped our company move to a new level of performance."

Shortly before the outage started on March 28, the company surpassed 10 million labor-hours without a lost-time or restricted-duty accident. STP has maintained an industrial accident rate of zero for nearly three years. That standard was also maintained throughout the refueling outage as the team worked nearly 500,000 labor-hours in five weeks.

In February 2009, the company reached a Total Safety Industrial Accident (TISA) rate of zero for the preceding 18 months, ranking the facility in the top 10 percent of all U.S. nuclear plants in personal safety. STP has maintained a TISA rate of zero for 32 months.

The plant is managed by the STP Nuclear Operating Company and owned by Austin Energy, CPS Energy and NRG Texas. STP's twin reactors produce 2,700 megawatts of carbon-free electricity, enough to power two million homes.
To learn more about the South Texas Project, visit

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Editor’s Note: The 104 nuclear reactors operating nationwide provide about 20 percent of the country’s electricity, and emit no carbon dioxide or other greenhouse gases.