V.C. Summer Nuclear Station Starts Refueling Outage

JENKINSVILLE, S.C, (April 10, 2017) — South Carolina Electric & Gas Company (SCE&G) took Unit 1 at V.C. Summer Nuclear Station offline April 8 to begin a scheduled refueling outage. The outage, which follows an 18-month operating cycle, is the 23rd for V.C. Summer since the station began commercial operation in 1984.

“Our focus during this outage is to perform those activities that position Unit 1 to continue to provide clean, safe and reliable electricity to our customers,” said George Lippard, SCE&G vice president of nuclear operations.

Approximately one-third of V.C. Summer’s 157 fuel assemblies are replaced every 18 months. Refueling outages also allow SCE&G to perform preventive maintenance work that cannot be performed when the reactor is operating. While the 966-megawatt facility is out of service, SCE&G’s other generating plants will provide electric power for its customers.

During this refueling outage, approximately 1,100 supplemental personnel join the approximately 700 permanent SCE&G Unit 1 employees to support work activities. These additional workers live in the community and patronize local businesses, providing a boost to the local economy.