PPL Susquehanna LLC, generating affiliates of PPL Corp. (PPL), said that Unit 2 at Susquehanna nuclear power plant resumed generating electricity for the regional electric grid on Wednesday following a successful refueling and maintenance outage that included extensive inspections and plant improvements.
PPL said that its employees and more than 1,000 supplemental workers replaced about 40 percent of the Unit 2 reactor fuel during the outage. They performed extensive inspections and testing of plant equipment, systems and technology. They inspected and replaced several pieces of the unit's turbine assembly, making improvements that address turbine blade issues that have affected the plant in recent years. In addition, crews replaced a 24-ton motor and pump that helps circulate coolant water through the reactor. PPL continually invests in plant equipment to keep Susquehanna in excellent material condition.
Unit 1 was disconnected from the grid May 9 so workers could make modifications to its turbine assembly. The modifications are near completion and the unit is expected to be restarted in the near future, the company said.
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