Kewaunee granted licence extension
25 February 2011
The operating licence of Dominion's single-unit Kewaunee nuclear power plant in Wisconsin has been extended for an additional 20 years by the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC). The renewed licence for the 574 MWe pressurised water reactor will now expire on 21 December 2033. Dominion applied to the NRC for the renewal in August 2008. The NRC said, "After careful review of the plant's safety systems and specifications, the staff concluded that the applicant had effectively demonstrated the capability to manage the effects of plant aging and that there were no safety concerns that would preclude licence renewal." The Kewaunee reactor is the 62nd US reactor to have its licence renewed by the NRC. Dominion's three other nuclear power plants - the North Anna and Surry plants in Virginia and the Millstone plant in Connecticut - have already received 20-year extensions to their operating licences.