Calvert
Cliffs Nuclear Plant Unit 2 Sets World Record For Operating Non-Stop for 693
Days, Begins Refueling Outage
Achievement Mirrors
Constellation Energy's 2008 Nuclear Performance, Including Generating a
Record 32 Million Megawatt Hours of Electricity
BALTIMORE, Feb 23,
2009 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- Constellation Energy (NYSE: CEG) today announced that
its Calvert Cliffs Nuclear Plant Unit 2, located in Lusby, Md., was taken out
service Sunday for a scheduled refueling outage, after completing a
record-breaking, 693-day continuous run. Unit 2 set a world record for
continuous generation by a pressurized water nuclear reactor, topping the
previous 689-day record held by Three Mile Island Unit 1.
"This phenomenal achievement is a tribute to Calvert
Cliffs' employees and their commitment to safe and reliable operation of our
nuclear plants," said Brew Barron, executive vice president,
Constellation Energy, and chief nuclear officer of Constellation Energy
subsidiary Constellation Energy Nuclear Group (CENG). "It is also a
reflection of the superlative performance by our entire fleet of nuclear
plants in 2008."
Unit 2 has operated continuously since its last refueling outage
two years ago, providing enough electricity to serve more than 1 million
households and businesses in the region.
"This level of achievement would not be possible without
our employees' unwavering commitment to safety, human performance and
equipment reliability," said Jim Spina, site vice president, Calvert
Cliffs Nuclear Power Plant.
The previous Calvert Cliffs record for a continuous run was 489
days in March 2004.
Calvert Cliffs is a two-unit, 1,735-megawatt facility. Cliff
Cliffs Unit 1 remains at 100 percent power. In addition to Calvert Cliffs,
Constellation Energy operates two other nuclear power plant sites - Nine Mile
Point in Scriba, N.Y., and R.E. Ginna near Rochester, N.Y. Together, the reactors
have a generating capacity of 3,869 megawatts, enough to serve approximately
2.6 million households.
In 2008, CENG reactors generated a record 32 million megawatt
hours of carbon-free electricity and recorded an impressive 94.7 percent
capacity factor. Nine Mile Point Unit 1 contributed by operating continuously
for 519 days through Oct. 23.
CENG's two reactors that did not have refueling outages in 2008
operated virtually full time. Calvert Cliffs Unit 2 had a 99.3 percent
capacity factor, while Nine Mile Point 1 operated at 98.2 percent capacity.
Sites that completed refueling outages in 2008 also had stellar performance,
including Calvert Cliffs Unit 1, which was rated first the nation with a
19.6-day outage. Among the 42 spring refueling outages in 2008 throughout the
U.S., R.E. Ginna was third nationally with 20 days, and Nine Mile Point 2 was
11th, with a 27-day outage.
About Constellation Energy
Constellation Energy (www.constellation.com)
is a leading supplier of energy products and services to wholesale and retail
electric and natural gas customers. It owns a diversified fleet of generating
units located throughout the United States, totaling approximately 9,000
megawatts of generating capacity, and is among the leaders pursuing the
development of new nuclear plants in the United States. The company delivers
electricity and natural gas through the Baltimore Gas and Electric Company
(BGE), its regulated utility in Central Maryland. A FORTUNE 500 company
headquartered in Baltimore, Constellation Energy had revenues of $19.8
billion in 2008.
SOURCE: Constellation Energy
Constellation Energy
Media:
Maureen Brown, 410-470-7433