Electric utility Georgia Power has revealed that the third of four steam generators was successfully lifted into the Unit 4 island at the Vogtle nuclear expansion site near Waynesboro, Georgia.

The Vogtle nuclear expansion is reported to be the only new nuclear project in the country that is currently under construction.

"The water pump system installed for the Unit 3 has the capacity to circulate 160,000 gallons of water per minute."

All steam generators for the new units were reported to have been fabricated in South Korea and were transported to the Port of Savannah, before being moved to the site through rail.

The 80ft-long steam generators are the heat exchangers, which are used to convert water into steam using the heat produced at the core of the nuclear reactor.

The fourth and final steam generator for the project is expected to be placed in the near future.



Other developments at the Vogtle site include the installation of the fourth and final cooling water system pump for Unit 3.

Weighing 62,000lb each, the water system pump uses cool water from the cooling tower basin and circulates them through the condensers in the turbine building in order to cool the steam released by the turbines.

The water pump system installed for the Unit 3 has the capacity to circulate 160,000 gallons of water per minute.

The Vogtle expansion project has seen Georgia Power working with the Georgia Public Service Commission (PSC) to reduce the impact of the new units on electric bills for its customers.