|
The South Texas Nuclear Project Electric Generating Station (also known as STNP, STPEGS, South Texas Nuclear Project), is a nuclear power station southwest of Bay City, Texas, United States. The STNP occupies a site on the Colorado River about southwest of Houston. It consists of two Westinghouse Pressurized Water Reactors and is cooled by a reservoir, which eliminates the need for cooling towers. Only recently the capacity of Palo Verde Nuclear Generating Station surpassed these Texas units.〔State of Texas. Public Utility Commission of Texas. Railroad Commission of Texas. (November 2012). "Public Utility Commission Section-New Energy Resources" Texas Energy Assurance Plan. Retrieved February 23, 2015. https://www.puc.texas.gov/industry/electric/reports/energy_assurance/Energy_Assurance_Plan-Texas.pdf〕 STNP was the first nuclear power plant to be built in Texas causing great controversy. The citizens of Austin Texas voted (November 3, 1981) to order the City of Austin council to sell its 16 percent. Since that date in 1981 through 2015 COA officials maintain 'no one wants it'. After that vote in 1981 the STNP went on and began operation in 1988. City of Austin officials continue to state that when they put out its 16 percent of STNP for sale they only got 1 bid: a bid of $1.00 (one dollar US). The use of the acronym 'STP' instead of STNP began to appear and confused many citizens as they see it on bills. The STNP is 'unique' in its design of the safety systems for the reactors. Each unit is said to have three, rather than the customary two, fully independent emergency core-cooling systems (ECCS) and associated support systems. However the addition of the third safety train was not fully recognized or credited by nuclear safety regulations during the plant licensing process. The third ECCS system was hoped to be a significant real-risk reduction, and the utility undertook major efforts to gain regulatory recognition of these features. No evidence is shown that they ever did "gain regulatory recognition" of this "third safety train". Japan has heavily invested in the STNP. ==History== On December 6, 1971, Houston Lighting & Power Co. (HL&P), the City of Austin, the City of San Antonio, and the Central Power and Light Co. (CPL) initiated a feasibility study of constructing a jointly-owned nuclear plant. The initial cost estimate for the plant was $974 million (equivalent to approximately $ in today's funds). By mid-1973, HL&P and CPL had chosen Bay City as the site for the project and San Antonio had signed on as a partner in the project. Brown and Root was selected as the architect and construction company. On November 17, 1973 voters in Austin narrowly approved their city's participation〔("General Municipal Election: November 17, 1973" ''City of Austin'' )〕 and the city signed onto the project on December 1. Austin held several more referendums through the years on whether to stay in the project or not.〔("General Municipal Election: August 14, 1976" ''City of Austin'' )〕〔("General Municipal Election: January 20, 1979" ''City of Austin'' )〕〔("General Municipal Election: April 7, 1979" ''City of Austin'' )〕 An application for plant construction permits was submitted to the Atomic Energy Commission (now the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC)) in May 1974 and the NRC issued the permits on December 22, 1975. Construction started at December 22, 1975.〔(Power Reactor Information System of the IAEA: South Texas )〕 By 1981, the South Texas Project was four years behind schedule and had substantial cost overruns. Brown and Root revised their completion schedule to June, 1989 and the cost estimate to $4.4–$4.8 billion. Brown and Root was relieved as architect in September and Bechtel Corporation contracted to replace them. Less than two months later, Brown and Root withdrew as the construction contractor and Ebasco Constructors was hired to replace them in February 1982. Austin voters authorized the City Council on November 3, 1981 to sell the city's 16 percent interest in the STP.〔("General Municipal Election: November 3, 1981" ''City of Austin'' )〕 No buyers were found. Unit 1 reached initial criticality on March 8, 1988 and went into commercial operation on August 25. Unit 2 reached initial criticality on March 12, 1989 and went into commercial operation on June 19. In February 1993, both units had to be taken offline to resolve problems with the steam-driven auxiliary feedwater pumps. They were not back in service until March (Unit 1) and May (Unit 2) of 1994. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「South Texas Nuclear Generating Station」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
|