American nuclear plant Hatch gets green light for 80-year operation

The Edwin I. Hatch Nuclear Plant in the US state of Georgia has received a 20-year operating licence extension from the regulator. The two units, commissioned in 1975 and 1979, can therefore generate electricity into the second half of the 2050s. The boiling water reactor plant has a total installed capacity of almost 1.8 GW. The US nuclear regulator has already approved 80-year operation for around 20 units.

US energy company Georgia Power announced that it had received a licence extension for the Edwin I. Hatch plant from the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC). The two-unit boiling water reactor plant, whose units were commissioned in the 1970s, has an installed capacity of 1759 MWe. The 20-year operating licence extension allows the plant to generate electricity from Unit 1 until 2054 and Unit 2 until 2058.

“Our nuclear facilities provide reliable energy around the clock at stable and predictable prices. I am proud of the work that takes place at the Hatch plant every day, of the dedication of the teams on site, and of the fact that all our customers benefit from the plant’s reliability and efficiency. This licence extension is great news as our state continues to grow and demand for electricity continues to rise,” said Kim Greene, chair, president and CEO of Georgia Power,

The nuclear units were originally designed to operate for 40 years, but in 2002 the plant received its first 20-year operating licence extension. This extension was followed by a series of investments, including the replacement of the cooling towers at Unit 2 and key components such as transformers, pumps and feedwater heaters.

The owners of the plant, named after a former president and chairman of Georgia Power, are Georgia Power (50.1 %), Oglethorpe Power Corporation (30 %), Municipal Electric Authority of Georgia (17.7 %) and Dalton Water & Light Sinking Fund Commission (2.2 %).

Betting on nuclear power

The co-owners of the Hatch plant in Georgia also operate the four-unit Vogtle nuclear plant. It has the two newest US nuclear units, commissioned in 2023 and 2024. Together, the two plants account for almost a third of Georgia Power’s total generation. The company also says that Georgia’s population has more than doubled since Hatch 1 was commissioned.

The US regulator approved the Hatch plant’s licence extension in less than 12 months after the application was submitted. Although this is the official timeframe, it is only the second plant to have its licence approved this quickly. Authorisation for 80-year operation has already been granted in the US to around 20 nuclear units, and others are still awaiting approval or planning to apply.

“The NRC continues to demonstrate that it can make timely decisions while maintaining rigorous safety oversight. Our employees’ ability to focus on the key factors needed for the plant’s long-term performance has enabled us to efficiently secure another 1.8 GW of capacity on the grid for the next 20 years,” said NRC Director Anna Bradford.