Sequoyah Unit 1 Marks 25 Years of Safe Operation
July 5, 2006
SODDY-DAISY, Tenn. – Unit 1 at TVA’s Sequoyah Nuclear Plant marked 25 years of safe and efficient operation on Saturday, July 1.
Sequoyah 1, Tennessee’s first nuclear unit, has generated 171 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity since it began commercial operation on July 1, 1981. That’s enough electricity to supply all the power needs of the Tennessee Valley for an entire year.
“Sequoyah has provided tremendous economic and energy benefits for the people of the Tennessee Valley for the past 25 years,” said TVA Chief Nuclear Officer Karl Singer. “It is a vital part of TVA’s clean-air generation portfolio today and will continue to be in the coming decades.”
Sequoyah Unit 1 is one of TVA’s largest generating units and produced the most electricity in its history last year - 10.7 billion kilowatt-hours, almost enough to supply two cities the size of Chattanooga.
Sequoyah employees achieved a significant milestone Jan. 1, 2005, when Unit 1 received 100 percent – the maximum allowable score – for the first time on an index by the Institute of Nuclear Power Operations, an industry organization that provides accreditation, evaluation and technical assistance to commercial nuclear-power plants. Later in August 2005, Sequoyah employees achieved an INPO index of 100 percent on Unit 2. The INPO index is important because it combines indicators of plant performance that define an overall performance rating that is consistently used by all U.S. nuclear plants.
In addition, the Sequoyah plant ranked second in the United States for the lowest average operations and maintenance costs from 2002-2004, surpassed only by TVA’s Browns Ferry Nuclear Plant in north Alabama. For this period of time, Sequoyah produced power at 1.248 cents per kWh, compared to the reported industry three-year average of 2.068 cents per kWh.
“It’s not the concrete, cables and pipes that have made Sequoyah a safe and reliable power producer,” said Sequoyah Site Vice President Randy Douet. “It’s the employees. They are what this plant is all about. They have made it successful, and all of us at TVA congratulate them on 25 years of service to the Valley.”
TVA began major construction on Sequoyah Unit 1 in 1970 and received a full- power license Sept. 17, 1980. Commercial operation of Unit 1 began July 1, 1981. Sequoyah’s second unit began commercial operation on June 1, 1982.
Sequoyah is located on 525 acres on Chickamauga Reservoir in Soddy-Daisy, Tenn. The plant employs about 900 employees, who are very active in the local community, supporting three area schools and other local charitable organizations, as well as helping area families in need.
TVA is the nation’s largest public power provider and is completely self-financing with revenues of $7.8 billion in 2005. TVA provides power to large industries and 158 power distributors that serve approximately 8.6 million consumers in seven southeastern states. TVA also manages the Tennessee River and its tributaries to provide multiple benefits, including flood damage reduction, navigation, water quality and recreation.
Media Contact
Kay Whittenburg, Chattanooga, (423) 751-7152 or (423) 843-7839
TVA News Bureau, Knoxville, (865) 632-6000
