St. Lucie Nuclear Power Plant

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St. Lucie Nuclear Power Plant
St. Lucie Nuclear Power Plant photo D Ramey Logan.jpg
Overhead view of St. Lucie Nuclear Power Plant
St. Lucie Nuclear Power Plant
CountryUnited States
Location Port St. Lucie, St. Lucie County, Florida
Coordinates 27°20′55″N80°14′47″W / 27.34861°N 80.24639°W / 27.34861; -80.24639
StatusOperational
Construction beganUnit 1: July 1, 1970
Unit 2: June 2, 1977
Commission date Unit 1: December 21, 1976
Unit 2: August 8, 1983
Construction cost$4.614 billion (2007 USD) [1]
Owner Florida Power & Light
Operator Florida Power & Light
Nuclear power station
Reactor type PWR
Reactor supplier Combustion Engineering
Cooling source Atlantic Ocean
Thermal capacity2 × 3020 MWth
Power generation
Units operational2 × 940 MW [2]
Make and model CE 2-loop (DRYAMB)
Nameplate capacity 1,880 MW [2]
Capacity factor 95.29% (2017)
84.05% (lifetime)
Annual net output 14,153 GWh (2021)
External links
Website St. Lucie Nuclear Plant
Commons Related media on Commons
[ edit on Wikidata]

St. Lucie Nuclear Power Plant is a twin nuclear power station located on Hutchinson Island, near Port St. Lucie in St. Lucie County, Florida. Both units are Combustion Engineering pressurized water reactors. Florida Power & Light commissioned the station in 1976 and continues to operate the station. Minor shares of Unit 2 are owned by the Florida Municipal Power Agency (8.81%) and the Orlando Utilities Commission (6.08%).[ citation needed ]

Contents

The plant contains two nuclear reactors in separate containment buildings. However, the plant does not have the classic hyperboloid cooling towers found at many inland reactor sites; instead, it uses nearby ocean water for coolant of the secondary system.

In 2003 the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) extended the operating licenses of the St. Lucie units by twenty years, to March 1, 2036 for Unit 1 and April 6, 2043 for Unit 2.

Extended power update

In 2012, Extended Power Update modifications were completed, increasing the electric output from approximately 853 MW to 1,002 MW. The project involved replacing pipes, valves, pumps, heat exchangers, electrical transformers, and generators, some of which were original components of the plant. [3] [4]

Electricity production

Generation ( MWh ) of St. Lucie Nuclear Power Plant [5]
YearJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecAnnual (Total)
20011,279,9641,152,1931,191,863707,7731,166,2891,208,3221,224,6731,261,4331,257,9511,225,8251,109,734651,06613,437,086
20021,257,6141,132,6661,277,3641,270,4331,226,5701,260,3071,226,1801,258,7681,170,595748,0351,224,7641,277,14114,330,437
20031,275,6781,150,5781,267,927897,407634,992845,6161,269,4511,270,3331,213,9631,260,7491,226,2941,079,01613,392,004
20041,271,5641,179,4711,047,578688,2901,266,0521,218,1991,261,5751,256,661459,3721,114,2261,219,3071,123,43413,105,729
2005657,658811,6641,263,8961,219,9751,255,4211,214,7531,251,0991,211,3551,200,381839,092601,381842,63512,369,310
20061,143,4731,140,6471,262,5191,038,256636,101886,4431,253,6091,254,5281,205,3021,246,0231,202,6251,239,69513,509,221
20071,261,6531,143,5531,259,140609,350676,5731,210,8731,248,036943,6681,168,004626,719616,172625,75411,389,495
20081,111,3511,026,9801,254,3631,230,0221,272,1671,140,5161,274,7351,139,4041,220,2231,008,012800,6971,281,86213,760,332
20091,284,0341,162,2641,256,7921,074,529638,925923,915918,8381,255,686790,9571,245,5771,222,3841,280,85713,054,758
20101,268,0121,163,1281,232,898506,871633,376648,5401,115,4681,107,5211,162,9571,268,8511,237,3921,285,37912,630,393
2011665,606577,883637,182593,443996,3841,210,7031,285,7121,131,1611,241,3061,063,9971,040,228664,15111,107,756
2012662,475893,828645,408654,923891,5131,150,2631,029,895791,423661,022708,426790,3341,379,94910,259,459
20131,504,4211,358,8231,030,5371,428,1951,469,9861,327,8431,497,9461,487,7211,393,654746,6361,075,6201,298,52915,619,911
20141,503,6091,360,573787,237858,8921,494,2461,417,8421,336,4271,353,0701,419,9511,479,5891,303,8841,502,25415,817,574
20151,506,4811,237,6411,252,070593,0031,485,4121,440,4801,499,0991,420,471867,682847,9701,431,9591,492,99615,075,264
20161,493,9471,409,3241,497,9131,449,0121,490,9281,432,3431,481,288789,4131,298,258543,5381,198,8901,501,70815,586,562
20171,482,601957,494882,2401,448,1331,494,8141,449,3251,494,2751,484,1171,382,9721,399,8531,449,7231,502,37316,427,920
20181,511,4201,356,2001,010,4161,163,1051,494,7681,443,9491,472,5871,256,690705,9871,200,4651,445,4221,501,57215,562,581
20191,507,9661,366,0051,506,7821,314,475745,160940,2041,491,4551,482,7331,071,0401,045,921990,6941,503,19314,965,628
20201,505,4581,076,9221,032,8151,453,3591,495,6241,442,6151,471,4611,476,5611,418,3841,480,7411,439,7151,506,71516,800,370
20211,411,5711,360,0911,501,864935,0221,061,0741,439,0661,481,2201,373,682708,539--1,441,9541,439,60014,153,683
20221,131,9261,352,1291,488,7981,440,7651,489,3301,410,6831,475,8011,478,304750,7911,375,9401,402,5001,492,81816,289,785
20231,495,0431,074,2701,034,2791,444,5071,485,5571,429,9821,445,2831,478,4831,420,4961,480,3881,433,5221,239,62616,461,436
20241,294,6601,407,137928,5791,107,9481,470,9461,171,2341,401,9581,352,899709,854898,1721,370,8891,502,15714,616,433
20251,507,4011,355,0941,498,7541,420,5131,496,0211,445,4421,489,968--

Surrounding population

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission defines two emergency planning zones around nuclear power plants: a plume exposure pathway zone with a radius of 10 miles (16 km), concerned primarily with exposure to, and inhalation of, airborne radioactive contamination, and an ingestion pathway zone of about 50 miles (80 km), concerned primarily with ingestion of food and liquid contaminated by radioactivity. [6]

The 2010 U.S. population within 10 miles (16 km) of Saint Lucie was 206,596, an increase of 49.7 percent in a decade, according to an analysis of U.S. Census data for msnbc.com. The 2010 U.S. population within 50 miles (80 km) was 1,271,947, an increase of 37.0 percent since 2000. Cities within 50 miles include Port St. Lucie (7.8 miles to city center), Ft. Pierce (8 miles to city center), Stuart and West Palm Beach (42 miles to city center).

Seismic risk

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission's estimate of the risk each year of an earthquake intense enough to cause core damage to the reactor at Saint Lucie was 1 in 21,739, according to an NRC study published in August 2010. [7] [8]

Hurricane risk

In 2016 St. Lucie Power Plant shut down because of Hurricane Matthew. [9] In 2017 the plant did not shut down due to Hurricane Irma. [10]

Turtle conservation and barrier nets

Conservation efforts to promote sea turtles are conducted with federal (National Marine Fisheries Service, NMFS) and state agencies (Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Committee, FFWCC ). [11] The plant is granted a marine turtle permit by FFWCC and authorized to conduct turtle activities such as: net capture, tagging, nesting surveys, hand capture, nest relocation, rescue, and release of hatchlings, stranding and salvage activities. [12]

Five species of sea turtles inhabit Florida waters; loggerhead, green, leatherback, hawksbill, and Kemp’s ridley sea turtles. [13] Every year, around 800-950 sea turtles, many juvenile, enter the offshore intake structures, and pass through one of three 12- to 16-foot diameter pipes which run approximately 3/4 mile (3-5 minutes) toward the start of the plant's intake canal. [14] Turtles that enter the canal must be removed manually through a capture program. In 1978, an 8-inch square mesh barrier net was erected east of the A1A bridge to restrict the movement of turtles moving down the canal system towards to plant. A 10-inch UIDS (Underwater intrusion detection system) barrier net was added downstream in the canal near the intake wells. In January 1996, responding to a larger number of small green turtles entering the intake system, a 5-inch square mesh barrier net was added upstream and east of the 8-inch net. [15] Turtles that are captured are documented and returned to the ocean.

See also

References

  1. ↑ "EIA - State Nuclear Profiles". Eia.gov. Retrieved 3 October 2017.
  2. 1 2 "St. Lucie Nuclear Power Plant | Florida Department of Environmental Protection". floridadep.gov. Retrieved 2020-01-15.
  3. ↑ "HomeTown News Gift Certificates". Myhometownnews.net. Archived from the original on February 22, 2013. Retrieved 5 August 2018.
  4. ↑ [ dead link ]
  5. ↑ "Electricity Data Browser". www.eia.gov. Retrieved 2025-02-06.
  6. ↑ "NRC: Backgrounder on Emergency Preparedness for Nuclear Power Plants". Archived from the original on 2006-10-02. Retrieved 2017-06-25.
  7. ↑ Bill Dedman (March 17, 2011), "What are the odds? US nuke plants ranked by quake risk", Msnbc.com, retrieved April 19, 2011
  8. ↑ "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2017-05-25. Retrieved 2011-06-17.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  9. ↑ "St. Lucie Power Plant shut down because of Hurricane Matthew". Tcpalm.com. Retrieved 5 August 2018.
  10. ↑ "FPL nuclear facilities weathered Irma without sustaining damage". Tcpalm.com. Retrieved 5 August 2018.
  11. ↑ Florida Power and Light Company (November 1995). "Assessment Of The Impacts Of The St. Lucie Nuclear Generating Plant On Sea Turtle Species Found In The Nearshore Waters Of Florida" (PDF). Retrieved October 6, 2025.
  12. ↑ "Supplement to Subsequent License Renewal Application Environmental Report" (PDF). U. S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission. January 2025. Retrieved October 6, 2025.
  13. ↑ Guertin, Jeff. "St. Lucie Site". Inwater Research Group. Retrieved 2025-10-06.
  14. ↑ Salisbury, Susan. "Protective sea turtle grate planned for FPL's St. Lucie plant". The Palm Beach Post. Retrieved 2025-10-06.
  15. ↑ Catron, Steve (April 9, 2024). "St. Lucie Units 1 and 2 Docket Nos. 50-335 and 50-389 2023 Annual Environmental Operating Report" (PDF). U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission. Retrieved October 6, 2025.
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