Georgia Power announced on March 1 that Unit 4 at the Vogtle nuclear expansion project near Waynesboro, Georgia, has achieved another major milestone in startup testing by generating electricity and successfully synchronizing and connecting to the electric grid for the first time.
Vogtle Unit 3 entered commercial operation on July 31, 2023. The in-service date for Unit 4 is projected during the second quarter of 2024.
Southern Nuclear is operating the new units on behalf of the co-owners: Georgia Power, Oglethorpe Power, MEAG Power and Dalton Utilities.
Plant Vogtle Units 3 and 4 are two 1,100-megawatt Westinghouse AP1000 nuclear reactors.
The Unit 4 milestone follows initial criticality, reached on February 14, when operators safely started the nuclear reaction inside the reactor, generating nuclear heat to produce steam.
Connecting to the electric grid is part of ongoing startup testing for Vogtle Unit 4. Now, operators will continue to raise reactor power for generation of electricity while performing tests at various power levels, ultimately raising power to 100 percent.
Once all startup testing is successfully completed and the unit is available for reliable dispatch, Vogtle Unit 4 will enter commercial operation.
