V.C. Summer Unit 2 basemat poured (March 11th)

SCANA / SCE&G press release below, courtesy NEI.

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SCE&G Completes First Nuclear Concrete Placement


CAYCE, S.C., March 11, 2013-South Carolina Electric & Gas Company (SCE&G), principal subsidiary of SCANA Corporation (NYSE:SCG), completed on March 11, 2013, placement of the nuclear island basemat for V.C. Summer Unit 2 in Fairfield County, S.C. This major milestone is the first new construction nuclear concrete to be poured in the U.S. in three decades.

"This is an exciting achievement for SCE&G, Santee Cooper, CB&I, Westinghouse Electric Company, and others who support our new nuclear project," said Kevin Marsh, chairman and CEO of SCANA. "We recognize the significance of this event and appreciate the strong commitment to safety and collaboration demonstrated by all involved in reaching this milestone."

Lonnie Carter, president and CEO of Santee Cooper, which co-owns V.C. Summer, said, "This is a tremendous day for South Carolina as we work with SCANA to deliver new nuclear generation that will help ensure reliable, affordable electricity for decades to come. We've come to this point through the diligent and conscientious attention to task by everyone involved, from our crews to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission."

The basemat provides a foundation for the containment and auxiliary buildings that are within the nuclear island. Measuring 6 feet in thickness, the basemat required approximately 7,000 cubic yards of concrete to cover an area about 250 feet long and 160 feet at its widest section. Completed about 10 a.m. today, this 51.5-hour continuous pour of concrete covered a surface totaling 32,000 square feet.

About 1,550 workers are currently involved in constructing two new reactors at V.C. Summer, where Unit 1 has operated safely and reliably for 30 years. The new nuclear project will peak at about 3,000 workers over the course of three to four years. The two 1,117-megawatt units will add 600 to 800 permanent jobs and bring SCE&G's portfolio to 60 percent non-emitting sources when they start generating electricity in 2017 and 2018, respectively.

PROFILE
SCE&G is a regulated utility engaged in the generation, transmission, distribution and sale of electricity to approximately 670,000 customers in South Carolina. The company also provides natural gas service to approximately 323,000 customers throughout the state. More information about SCE&G is available at www.sceg.com.

SCANA Corporation, headquartered in Cayce, S.C., is an energy-based holding company principally engaged, through subsidiaries, in electric and natural gas utility operations and other energy-related businesses. In addition to its approximately 670,000 electric customers in South Carolina, the company serves more than 1.2 million natural gas customers in South Carolina, North Carolina and Georgia. More information about SCANA is available at www.scana.com.

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It's very interesting that the SCANA / SCE&G Summer site project began later than the Vogtle project, yet poured basemat concrete several days before Vogtle.  Whatever the case, it's very heartening that the concrete rebar issues are overcome and concrete is going in the nuclear islands.

For more information, read the excellent entry at the Santee Cooper Blog on the concrete pour.

5:30 PM Eastern 3/14/2013
ATOMIC POWER REVIEW