The Cook nuclear power plant’s Unit 2 reactor is back online after a refueling outage that started in October. Plant spokesperson Bill Downey tells us around 1,100 contractors supplemented the plant’s usual 950 employees to get a variety of maintenance projects done over 38 days.
“In addition to refueling, we typically tackle some large maintenance projects,” Downey said. “This particular refueling outage, we completed the last remaining bits of our ten year life cycle maintenance project that basically puts us in a good position to be able to run reliably for the next 20 years and beyond.”
Downey says the reactor is like new after the outage. The work included upgrades to the feed water heater control system, a modification to the plant air compressor control system, and multiple piping bellow replacements. Downey says it all went off without a hitch.
“We had about 1,1000 workers supplementing our 950 regular full-time employees, and what was really outstanding about this particular outage is that it was successful because of our safety culture, really.”
Downey says Unit 2 was reconnected to the transmission grid early Wednesday. He notes the additional workers that come in for refueling outages are a boost to the local economy, especially in the fall, when the tourist season wraps up and local hotels and other venues might see business dry up. The next refueling outage, for Unit 1, will be next fall.
