The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) has initiated a special inspection at the Calvert Cliffs Unit 1 nuclear power plant in Lusby, Maryland. The inspection is being conducted to review issues associated with an emergency diesel generator at the facility, which malfunctioned during recent testing. The generator was also the subject of an NRC enforcement action last year.
A three-member NRC team arrived at the plant on May 1 to begin the inspection. The team will be joined by NRC resident inspectors who have been following plant owner Constellation Energy's actions on-site since the mechanical failure of the generator on April 24.
The NRC inspection team aims to gather information about the problems associated with the generator and better understand plant operators' responses. The team will document its findings in an inspection report, which is expected to be issued within 45 days following the review's conclusion.
According to NRC Region I Administrator Raymond Lorson, the event did not directly impact plant safety due to the redundant systems. However, the NRC team has been tasked with understanding why this problem occurred and the steps the company takes to prevent it from happening again.
While operators have determined that the plant's other emergency diesel generators are unlikely to have similar problems, NRC inspectors are reviewing that assessment as part of this review. Emergency diesel generators are considered a crucial safety component at nuclear power plants, used to operate safety systems when off-site power becomes unavailable.
The NRC's last inspection of the Calvert Cliffs plant occurred in September 2022, when the agency issued a "white" finding for low to moderate safety significance. The finding was based on a problem involving the same emergency diesel generator. Operators failed to prevent the introduction of foreign material into the generator, resulting in its automatic shutdown and failure during routine testing.
The Calvert Cliffs plant is owned by Constellation Energy, a subsidiary of Exelon Corporation, and has been in operation since 1975. It is located on the Chesapeake Bay's western shore and can generate 858 megawatts of electricity.
The NRC oversees the safety and security of commercial nuclear power plants in the United States. The agency's inspections and reviews aim to ensure plant operators comply with NRC regulations and meet the agency's safety standards. The NRC also conducts special inspections in response to events or conditions at a plant that may indicate a more significant safety concern.
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