Vogtle Unit 4 reaches initial criticality
ATLANTA, Feb. 14, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Georgia Power announced today that Unit 4 at the Vogtle nuclear expansion project near Waynesboro, Georgia, has safely reached initial criticality. Initial criticality is a key step during the startup testing sequence and demonstrates that -- for the first time -- operators have safely started the nuclear reaction inside the second reactor. This means atoms are being split and nuclear heat is being made, which will be used to produce steam.
- ATLANTA, Feb. 14, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Georgia Power announced today that Unit 4 at the Vogtle nuclear expansion project near Waynesboro, Georgia, has safely reached initial criticality.
- Initial criticality is a key step during the startup testing sequence and demonstrates that -- for the first time -- operators have safely started the nuclear reaction inside the second reactor.
- Achieving initial criticality is necessary to continue the startup of the unit in order to generate sufficient heat for the production of electricity.
- Vogtle Unit 3 entered commercial operation on July 31, 2023, ( read more ) and is providing safe, reliable, emission-free energy to Georgia today.