Construction Video and Photos

Joe Washington
Welcome back to the construction site of America's first nuclear energy facility to be built in 30 years! This project is historic on several fronts, and the most significant milestone to date was just reached!

"The memorandum and order authorizes the director of the Office of Nuclear Reactors to issue the limited work authorizations and appropriate licenses authorizing construction and operation of Vogtle units 3 & 4. Would you please affirm your vote?"

"Aye."
And with this momentous vote in February by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Southern Company was granted the first Combined Construction and Operating License, or COL, ever approved in the United States for the construction of a nuclear energy facility. Chuck Pierce, Southern Nuclear's Regulatory Affairs Director, explains the importance of this achievement.

Chuck Pierce
"For the NRC to issue a COL it means the NRC has conducted a thorough review of the design of the plant and has determined the design is safe and meets all regulatory requirements."

Joe Washington
Thanks Chuck. The COL represents today's streamlined licensing process for construction of new nuclear plants. The previous licensing methods often took a huge financial toll on companies trying to build nuclear energy facilities because of costly delays in approvals. The COL process is a significant improvement. But even with this more efficient process, work toward obtaining the COL for Vogtle units 3 & 4 actually began back in 2004 with applications for permits and approvals.

The NRC granted Southern Company an Early Site permit in August 2009 which allowed limited construction to begin, and that's what you've seen in these quarterly reports. Backfilling, preliminary work on the nuclear island, the two concrete batch plants, the office complex, the Module Assembly Building and other construction not related to the actual operation of the plant have been underway over the past two and a half years.

Now with the COL, we have authorization to move forward with work on the heartbeat of this new facility and begin construction of the AP1000 reactors.

This is an extremely significant event for the owners of the two new units, as well as for our customers, who have been involved in the process since the beginning.

Chuck Pierce
"Customers played a huge role in this process participating around Waynesboro, Augusta, Burke County. There were numerous meetings and hearings where the NRC interviewed people on Southern Nuclear's relationships with customers. Customers spoke very positively of our operation of the 1 and 2 facility, the personnel support of the local communities, and they were very supportive of Southern Nuclear's continued construction of the facility at Vogtle 3 and 4."

Buzz Miller
"It starts with Georgia Power. We build the plant because Georgia Power has the need to serve our customers and that's what our business is all about so that's where it starts. The agent for doing this work for Georgia Power is Southern Nuclear Company, and the teamwork within Southern Nuclear to handle this has just been tremendous."

Steve Kuczynski
"It's a great time to do this project. We have many who have done the previous build and we have new engineers and new licensing folks working with them. So we're building for the long term - setting ourselves up for success."

Joe Washington
Thanks Steve. It's estimated that an incredible 600,000 thousand work hours have gone into just the licensing work for this project so far! Support for the $14 billion dollar construction of the two new units here at plant Vogtle comes from all around the country, including the office of the President of the United States and Congress. Secretary of Energy Dr. Steven Chu visited the site here recently to congratulate Southern Company employees on receiving the first Combined Construction and Operating License in the U.S.

Dr. Steven Chu
"America has the opportunity to lead the world in clean energy technologies and provide a foundation for our future prosperity. What you're doing here at Vogtle will help us compete in the global clean energy race and provide domestic clean energy power for U.S. homes."

Joe Washington
With the COL in hand, the Shaw Group, which is the construction contractor for the project, is ready to move forward - as is Westinghouse, the designer of the two AP 1000 reactors.

Tom Dent
"Now that we have the COL you can see activity at the modular stations ramping up. If you look at the parking lot outside the modular assembly building, more and more people are coming in every day. We'll see more and more people in the nuclear island doing rebar installation. You can see behind me the containment vessel coming together from CBI…so the activity will pick up all over the site. Components are coming in from many states and countries, and are coming here on planes, ships, trains…you're going to see the warehouses and receiving areas filling up quickly, so it's happening now!"

Joe Washington
Thanks Tom. Our highly-trained, experienced, and dedicated employees are committed to reaching new levels of excellence. We remain committed to provide clean, safe, and reliable energy that will sustain and improve the quality life for our customers and their communities. Here at Plant Vogtle we're paving the way for the rebirth of nuclear energy in the United States with monumental accomplishments. It's no wonder that Southern Company was recently named the leading power company in the world at the Global Energy Awards Ceremony in New York! That's all for now. In our next report we'll come back out on site for updates on recent construction developments. We hope you'll join us then for the next Vogtle Timeline!

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Joe Washington

What a difference a year has made here at the construction site of America's newest nuclear energy facility!

The footprint of Southern Company's two new units at Plant Vogtle is now in clear view, as is the progress that has been made this year. Let's take a look back at 2011….

Several million cubic yards of special soils were backfilled and compacted during the excavation of the two new units. More backfilling will take place in the years ahead as the turbine building is constructed.

The nuclear islands for Units 3 and 4 were lined with retaining walls and now extend 40 feet into the ground.

The first components that will be put in place inside the nuclear islands are the CR-10 modules. These are the cradles on which the containment vessels will sit. Work is currently underway on the Unit 3 CR-10 at the Containment Vessel Cradle Assembly Pad. Once in place, each CR-10 module and containment vessel bottom will be surrounded by concrete.

Look at the progress that has been made just since our last report on the welding of the bottom head of the containment vessel for Unit 3. It's easy to see how this bowl shaped section will rest in the cradle of the CR-10. Another stand was recently erected for welding to begin on Unit 4's containment vessel bottom head.

Between the two nuclear islands is the circular platform for the heavy lift derrick crane. The platform has a 300 foot diameter rail-track around it. This will allow the crane to place the 1,000 ton sections of the containment vessels and large structural modules inside each of the nuclear islands. The first parts of the crane assembly are being placed on the track right now, and the 560 foot boom is currently being assembled.

The circulating water systems for both new units are in place and are now covered with concrete and soil. In this photo from October, you can still see how the pipes are laid out to and from the cooling tower on Unit 4. The cooling towers are faintly outlined in the distance. The circulating water pipe system will eventually connect to the new turbine building and condensers.

The Module Assembly Building, office complex, training facility, switchyard upgrades, IT systems, and many other construction goals have been reached on budget and on schedule.

It's a very exciting time here at Plant Vogtle where safety remains our top priority. We work to protect the public and our facilities with state of the art technology that layers precaution on top of precaution.

One major milestone we're particularly proud of is receiving the Final Safety Evaluation Report from the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, or NRC, for the Combined Construction and Operating License.

The NRC is recognized globally as the strongest nuclear energy regulator in the world. Nuclear facilities in the United States are subject to more scrutiny and requirements than in any other country.

There are two NRC expert oversight officers on site here at Plant Vogtle, with more expected as construction progresses.

Receiving the NRC's final safety report means we don't just meet federal standards - we exceed them - with our multiple, redundant, layer upon layer of protective systems, and 24 hour a day expert oversight.

You know it takes a lot of people to reach the milestones of the past year and bring a project like this to life safely and on schedule. With one thousand eight hundred people working on site here now, everywhere you look there are experts in skilled crafts, and professionals in a wide range of trades.

We've certainly seen a lot of changes here over the past year. And it's only the beginning as Southern Company leads America's nuclear renaissance, and adds to its diverse portfolio of smarter, cleaner energy sources.

In our next report we'll look at what's ahead in 2012. That's all for now from Plant Vogtle in Waynesboro, Georgia. Best wishes from all of us here for a Happy New Year!

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Joe Washington
It was this time last year that the first essential components for Southern Company's new AP1000 nuclear energy facility arrived from Japan at the Port of Savannah. That shipment brought the massive plates for the bottom head of the Unit 3 containment vessel.

Now, the second shipment is making Port --carrying the bottom head plates for Unit 4's containment vessel. And on site here at Plant Vogtle near Waynesboro, Georgia, progress continues!

The containment vessels are where the nuclear reactors will be housed. Looking at the existing containment vessels for Units 1 and 2, it's hard to really grasp the enormity of their structure and strength.

Each of the containment vessels for the new facility, Units 3 & 4, will be 131 feet in diameter, rise about 213 feet tall, and will weigh an incredible 4,000 tons.

Now…imagine what it takes to assemble these structures! Here's Matt Edmondson to tell us how it's done.

Matt Edmondson
Each containment vessel is assembled in five sections before being moved over to the nuclear island.

Right now we're getting started on welding the bottom head. It's comprised of three courses Each bottom head is made up of 62 plates.

The welding is done on this unique frame. It's a very important support structure critical to the installation of the bottom head and other parts of the vessel…alignment.

There will be close to one half million inches of weld on the bottom head alone. This translates to about 123 football fields!

Chicago Bridge and Iron was awarded the contract to fabricate and assemble both the Unit 3 & 4 containment vessels here.

Joe Washington
Thanks Matt. With all the construction activities on site working to build this facility, it's a project in itself to have the electricity supply available to conduct these activities….in other words…how do we provide the energy to build the new nuclear energy facility?

Georgia Power Company designed a system for providing a reliable source of construction electricity throughout the course of this project while making sure there are minimal interruptions.

Electricity is being brought to the site of Units 3 & 4 from the nearby Plant Wilson substation through underground cabling and associated equipment. So far, well over a mile of cabling has been laid and tested. And two pad mounted switching cubicles and a pad mounted metering cubicle have been installed.

Managing the scope of the additional energy needed for the construction site ensures that all of the ongoing activities have the electricity they need to keep the work flowing smoothly.

With construction well underway in many different areas here, the Information Technology department - or I.T. - is playing a vital role in setting up temporary construction data network and voice communications systems.

Highly reliable voice and data systems are critical in today's business world - and perhaps even more so at a nuclear energy facility. I.T. recently completed communications wiring for the 20,000 square foot construction office complex. This complex will house approximately 200 employees when complete. To be ready, more than 200 PCs and phones for engineers and other construction personnel have been installed here to help manage daily business needs.

To enhance productivity in the field, I.T., is currently working on upgrading wireless network coverage in the construction areas to allow engineers to digitally access drawings and other documents in real time.

This will enable them to see progress and address issues faster.

In anticipation of the additional voice and data needs for Units 3& 4, more than 18,000 feet of fiber-optic cable have been installed to upgrade the facility's permanent fiber infrastructure.

The new training building alone has 1400 network connections, 250 PCs, a distance learning center, and two computer labs.

By the time Vogtle Units 3 &4 are complete, there will be 2,000 phones, 1000 workstations, numerous wireless phones, network cameras, and network connectivity throughout the facility.

As Nuclear energy is re-emerging as a viable way to meet new demand for electricity with the added benefit of no greenhouse gas emissions, Southern Company is leading the nation's nuclear energy renaissance. We're on schedule to be the first U.S. utility in more than 30 years to build new nuclear-powered generation, which will be part of our diverse portfolio of smarter, cleaner energy sources.

Southern Company is the premier energy provider to the entire southeastern United States. We're committed to keeping our customers satisfied. And the construction of Vogtle Units 3 & 4 is answering the need for emission free, affordable, reliable energy.

Coming up, we'll take a look back over the past year at the major milestones and achievements for 2011. We hope you'll join us for the next Vogtle Timeline!

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Joe Washington
Here on the five hundred fifty acre construction site of America's newest nuclear power plant, it's easy to see the remarkable progress being made. The module assembly building rises impressively from the flat landscape and stands tall. It's finished and ready to receive components, a few of which have begun to arrive. Two hundred modules will be assembled here before being put into place, and getting those into place is a project all its own.

These cranes you see behind me will be dwarfed by the world's largest heavy lift derrick crane when it's erected here. That crane will eventually reside on what will be a sixty by sixty foot platform situated between the two reactor containment areas. The hook is rated to lift fifteen hundred tons, and that's what will be need to put the hundreds of components into place for the two new units. Some parts for the crane have already been delivered here, and it's scheduled to be assembled by the end of the year.

The heavy lift derrick crane will place numerous plant sections as deep as forty feet below ground level, into these specially excavated areas that make up the nuclear island. These are lined and reinforced with MSEs, a Mechanically Stabilized Earth system, as we discussed in our last report.

These workers are installing a multi-layered concrete working surface called a "Mud Mat" at the bottom of the containment area. This concrete floor will provide a stable working surface to install reinforcements and other features for the AP1000 foundation.

Vogtle units three and four mark the first ever Westinghouse AP1000 designed nuclear reactors to be built in the United States, but right now in Sanmen, China, the world's first AP1000 reactors are under construction, and are about two years ahead of the Vogtle project. That gives us an unprecedented opportunity to experience first hand the start-up, operation, and even refueling of the AP1000 when the Chinese bring their plant online, thanks to a learning exchange agreement between Southern Nuclear Operating Company and Shandong Nuclear Power Company.

Here at Southern Nuclear's Representative Office in Shanghai, resident project manager Yinkun Wan, and General Manager of External Alliances, Cheri Collins, both of Southern Nuclear Operating Company, are paving the way for a mutual learning experience with the Chinese, as they construct four AP1000 units.

Cheri Collins
Back in August of 2010, we wrote a memorandum of understanding with the Haiyang Power Plant, and in that memorandum of understanding, we outlined several quid pro quo style exchanges that we wished to go forward with, with our friends at Haiyang. The United States has a hundred and four nuclear reactors, and each of those reactors has been in service for many more than twenty years, and if you do the math on that, that's a couple of thousand years of safe reactor operating history.

Currently, they have about thirteen nuclear power plants in China, and they realize that they can learn a lot from the American program, and we're happy to exchange that information with them. And the Chinese are very interested in learning about our organization, how we train, how we do maintenance, how we operate our nuclear power plants. They're very interested in learning that.

The memorandum of understanding is an approved method for Southern Company. Being first-hand observers or the AP1000 Nuclear Power Plant that Haiyang is building, it will give us the opportunity to be on the front row when our friends at Haiyang take that power plant to commercial operation for the first time, to be there, and observe that.

We will take the lessons we learn from our experiences there, and apply those lessons learned back to our program and our initial operational approach for our own plants back in Waynesboro, Georgia.

People who operate nuclear power plants are dependent on each other to operate wherever the plant is and whatever country it's in, at the highest quality standards, with the safety and health of the public in the uppermost in our minds at all times, so what we do over the next three to four years, moving forward with our construction, learning as much as we can from the Chinese, it just positions us to be globally responsible nuclear power plant operators.

Joe Washington
Thank you Cheri. The U.S. Department of Energy must approve any memorandum of understanding in which a technical information exchange with China is to take place. That approval is in progress.

At Southern Company, training nuclear plant employees has already begun, and will be continuous. The new training facility here at Plant Vogtle is almost complete, and will soon house training in nearly every discipline, including operations, maintenance, engineering, chemistry, and health physics.

Needless to say, there's a lot going on at Plant Vogtle, from the site work, to training future employees, this project remains on budget and on schedule. That's all for now. Join us again next quarter for another construction update on Vogtle Timeline.

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JW: Joe Washington
DM: David Moncus
AA: Amy Aughtman

This is Vogtle Timeline with your host, Joe Washington.

JW: We kicked off 2011 making significant headway here at the construction site of Southern Company's Plant Vogtle, America's newest nuclear power plant. We're laying the foundation to provide continued reliable energy for generations to come. Literally. The foundation work is under way here in several areas. Concrete is being made here on-site now in one of our batch plants and being used to pour the platform for the heavy equipment crane that will move modules and parts for the nuclear island into place.

We've also begun to construct the Mechanically Stabilized Earth - or MSE - retaining wall. From the rim of the excavated area at unit 3, you can now see where the AP1000, the heart of this power plant, will be built. To tell us more about this is David Moncus, Southern Company's nuclear island construction manager.

DM: As you can see, we're standing on the rim of unit number 3 excavation. Below us is the outline of the nuclear island. The MSE function is the same as you see on the interstate where you see overpasses. They have walls that hold the earth back; that's the same concept here. Once the MSE walls are established, there will be work inside of the nuclear island. There's a completely safe work environment and each unit, unit 3 and unit 4 will have approximately 800 to 810 panels. The largest panels weigh approximately 3,500 pounds. The MSE walls not only serve to function to hold back backfield, but they will also act as our outside form for our building exterior walls. The advantage of the MSE wall installation is to allow us to compact our schedule. We can do our module assemblies at the same time we are completing backfield activities in the power block areas and meet the overall schedule of the plant.

JW: Thanks David. Now, adjacent to the nuclear island you can begin to see the outline of the cooling tower basins. Two cooling towers will be constructed, one for each unit. These are designed as natural draft cooling towers, which means they will function by relying on natural forces instead of mechanical. Each tower will reach 550 feet in height when completed. Excavation for the circulating water system beneath the towers has also begun. Pipe systems are being laid outside from the plant moving toward the side of the cooling towers, as you can see. The water source for this system is the nearby Savannah River. Water will be pumped through the plant's condensers and used over and over as a source of cooling.

When units 3 and 4 are complete, how do we get the power we've generated from the plant to the people who need it? The switchyard is where power is collected so we can send it out over transmission lines to our customers. Right now we're working on upgrading the existing switchyard at Vogtle units 1 and 2 with new equipment such as breakers, switches, switch gears, transformers and protective devices. The switchyard has to be able to handle the additional power that will be generated by the two new units and we're going to get ready for that now.

There's as much going on behind the scenes as what you can actually see here. Hundreds of people are working every day to keep this project on budget and on schedule. One way we are staying on target is successfully submitting our applications and obtaining our licenses from the regulatory agencies overseeing the project.

Recently we reached a significant milestone in licensing when the NRC recommended that our COL, the combined license to construct and operate the plant, be granted. With more on this landmark decision, here's Southern Nuclear AP1000 Licensing Supervisor, Amy Aughtman.

AA: Southern Nuclear is very happy to report that the permit to construct and operate the new Vogtle units is in the final stages of review at the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. In a combined license application, called the COL application, the NRC staff reviews descriptions of the applicant's qualifications, design, environmental impacts, operational programs and site safety. The NRC staff conducts its review in accordance with the Atomic Energy Act and NRC regulations. The technical review has been completed by the NRC staff and the advisory committee on reactor safeguards, which is an independent group of technical experts. The result of this review is the recommendation that the license be issued. The next step will be mandatory licensing hearings set for later this summer. Following the hearings, the license is expected to be issued late this year. Receiving the license clears the way for all construction activities at the site.

JW: Thanks Amy. This new power plant will allow us to produce the lowest-cost continuous, safe and reliable energy per kilowatt hour. As we continue to make great strides here, we hope you will join us for the next Vogtle Timeline, when we'll take you to the Shandong Nuclear Power Company in China. They're two years ahead of the U.S. in the construction of the AP1000 and that gives us an unprecedented opportunity to learn as much as possible about the construction and operation of this system as we move forward.

That's all from here. See you next time.

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