en.Wedoany.com Reported - Palisades nuclear plant restart has achieved significant progress, with Holtec successfully placing the plant's turbine generator on turning gear and installing and testing a new advanced fuel handling machine, completing the upgraded fuel handling system. These projects represent a culmination of major efforts in the Palisades nuclear plant restart process.
Holtec stated that these achievements mark an important turning point in the Palaisades restart effort. Previously, the plant had completed reactor pressure vessel inspections, reactor head penetration replacements, chemical decontamination and passivation of the primary system, steam generator tube refurbishment and secondary side cleaning, fuel receipt and inspection, operator training and recertification, as well as numerous equipment upgrades and modernization projects. The focus throughout this phase has been to ensure the Palisades plant is prepared for safe and reliable operation for decades to come.
Steven Soler, Head of Holtec's Corporate Division, and Michael Schultheis, Site Vice President, noted that these achievements reflect the tremendous effort across the plant for the restart, and the current focus has shifted to safely executing the remaining testing, verification, and operational readiness activities required before startup. With the successful completion of the project phase, the plant's managers, supervisors, and oversight personnel have focused on managing the remaining work through the Operations Command Center and multiple specialized coordination teams, which are preparing around the clock for startup.
Holtec noted that although there are still over 5,000 individual work activities remaining, this transition has become a significant milestone in the historic restart effort. Kris Singh, Holtec Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, stated that the company is grateful for the support of federal, state, and community partners that has made this pioneering effort possible. The restart of the Palisades plant will serve as an example of government and private industry cooperation to achieve important national goals.
Palisades is a single-unit pressurized water reactor nuclear plant that was shut down in May 2022, with fuel removed the following month, and its operating license is valid until March 2031. The unit's license was transferred from former operator Entergy Nuclear Operations to Holtec Decommissioning International, LLC and Holtec Palisades, LLC, originally intended for decommissioning. In late 2023, Holtec began obtaining the necessary license approvals to return the plant to operational status for the remaining term of the license. Holtec notified the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission in 2024 of its plan to apply for a second or subsequent license renewal for the plant, which would extend its operating period by 20 years, to 2051.
