Entergy will replace its two steam generators along with the reactor vessel pressure head at Waterford 3, which will mean the influx of 2,400 temporary workers into St. Charles Parish this spring.
The project has been planned for more than four years by the energy company and will extend the life of the Taft nuclear plant for another 20 years, Entergy spokesman Carl Rhode told the St. Charles Business Association.
Entergy usually refuels 30 percent of Waterford’s fuel every 18 months, but in conjunction with an upcoming refuel, the company will completely replace both steam generators and the pressure head. To accomplish the job Entergy will partner with a company well-versed in working with nuclear plants, the Steam Generator Team.
Of the 2,400 temporary workers Entergy will bring in, 500 will be local craftsmen. Entergy is coordinating this influx of workers with the St. Charles Sheriff’s Office and the Department of Transportation and Development to make sure the extra traffic will be handled as efficiently as possible.
Waterford III currently has 600 employees, so the company is now building additional parking lots to house the extra workers. They will also construct a road from the facility to the river so that they can transport materials.
The project is set to begin in March of 2011.
The $510.8 million price tag should bring an economic boost to the parish, although the project will definitely have an international flavor. The two replacement generators are being built in Spain, while the pressure head is being constructed in Korea.
The pressure head will be delivered to Waterford this November, and the two generators will arrive in January 2011.
“This is a proven process that will be implemented in a 24/7 time frame so that the job will be finished quickly,” Rhode said of the two-month project. “There are numerous safeguards involved with Entergy and the Nuclear Regulatory Commission that insures the project will be handled safely.”
In November, Entergy will start advising the community about the upcoming project, including all matters that will involve the public such as safety, road closures and traffic congestion.
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