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BALTIMORE, Mar 20, 2009 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- Constellation Energy's (NYSE:CEG) Calvert Cliffs Nuclear Power Plant Unit 2 in Lusby, Md., returned to full power today after completing a scheduled refueling outage in 22 days and four hours.
"The safe, successful completion of this refueling outage will enhance operations and reliability during Calvert Cliffs Unit 2's operating cycle," said Jim Spina, vice president of Constellation Energy's Calvert Cliffs Nuclear Power Plant. "This success is a tribute to the significant role played by the entire Calvert Cliffs outage team - our Calvert Cliffs employees, shared resources from Constellation Energy's Nine Mile Point Nuclear Station and R.E. Ginna Nuclear Power Plant in New York, the generation services department in Baltimore and our contractors - in safely and efficiently executing the refueling outage."
The proactive maintenance completed during the outage enhances safety and reliability of Calvert Cliffs Unit 2 and enables the reactor to continue record-setting performance. The 862-megawatt reactor operated nonstop, 24 hours per day for more than 692 days before beginning its refueling outage, setting a world record for pressurized water reactors. In addition, Unit 2's capacity factor in 2008 was a world-record high of 101.37 percent, according to Platts, a utility industry publication. Capacity factor is a measure of efficiency.
Spina noted that shorter refueling outages and longer operating cycles at Calvert Cliffs benefit Constellation Energy's customers by providing a reliable source of emission-free electricity. Unit 2 returned to the electrical grid at 2 a.m. March 17, and reached full power at 10 a.m. today. Unit 1 continues to operate at full power.
In addition to standard refueling activities, plant staff replaced and inspected systems and equipment as a proactive measure to ensure continued equipment reliability through the remainder of Unit 2's operating license, which expires in 2036.
Constellation Energy owns and operates the Calvert Cliffs facility. The output of electricity from the site's two operating units is enough to meet the needs of more than one million homes, or about 20 percent of all Maryland residents. In 2000, Calvert Cliffs became the first nuclear power plant in the nation to earn extended licenses from the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission - through 2034 for Unit 1 and through 2036 for Unit 2.
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
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