RICHLAND, Wash. – The Columbia Generating Station successfully rejoined the Northwest power grid on June 16 at 5:02 p.m. following its biennial refueling outage, Energy Northwest said in a release.
During the two-month outage, Energy Northwest said workers completed numerous tasks, including installing a new adjustable speed drive system and repairing the circulating water basin.
Additionally, 256 of 764 nuclear fuel assemblies in the reactor core were replaced with fresh fuel, the release said.
“The work accomplished during this outage enhances Columbia’s reliability and strengthens our mission to provide carbon-free, cost-effective energy,” Energy Northwest CEO Bob Schuetz said.
The Columbia Generating Station, located 10 miles north of Richland, is taken offline every two years to refuel and conduct essential maintenance.
This process ensures the plant operates efficiently for another two-year cycle.
