Grand Gulf refueling taking longer than expected

by Associated Press

Published: May 10,2012

Tags: CLAIBORNE COUNTY, Entergy, Entergy Nuclear, Grand Gulf Nuclear Station, Mississippi, Mississippi Business Journal, Suzanne Anderson

Grand Gulf Nuclear Station

VICKSBURG — Refueling Grand Gulf Nuclear Station has taken longer than plant officials said a year ago, and officials now aren’t saying when it will be completed.

The Claiborne County plant shut down Feb. 19 to refuel the boiling-water reactor and increase its generating capacity by 13 percent.

Entergy Nuclear spokeswoman Suzanne Anderson says that neither the time frame nor the outage duration could be discussed due to safety and security concerns. In April 2011, plant manager Jeremy Browning said the outage would last 75 days.

The $510 million upgrade was to last at least through June, when contracts run out for many of the 4,000 or so workers brought in for the work.

Once complete, Grand Gulf will be the nation’s most powerful single reactor.