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The four-unit Ghent power plant with a net production capacity of 1,919 MWe is expected to be phased out of service. Units 1 and 2 will close first, followed by units 3 and 4. The plant is located five miles from several commercial corporations. These may simply be potential consumers when it comes to heat for procedures. PPL owns approximately 2,300 acres of land surrounding the Ghent site.
As with previous feasibility testing of the Ghent Generation Plant in Kentucky, the progression and PPL team plans to partner with the Department of Energy’s (DOE) Gateway for Accelerated Innovation in Nuclear (GAIN) initiative and nuclear design engineering firm X-Energy.
The previous study had decided that the Ghent site was suitable for a small modular reactor nuclear plant (SMR), but that it would have length limitations for a larger nuclear reactor. The second phase of the study will explore selected locations and industry partnerships that can enable energy-intensive customers, adding brands and knowledge hubs, to achieve their zero-carbon goals while maintaining reliability and affordability.
“We perceive that achieving our goal of net-zero carbon emissions will be challenging, and we continue to implement a comprehensive generation strategy to upgrade old generation with a cleaner, more diversified energy mix that can produce safely, reliably and affordably to satisfy our customers. ‘long-term energy desires and continued economic growth,’ said Vincent Sorgi, chairman and CEO of PPL.
“Nuclear power is a carbon-free solution that has the potential to meet the desires of our consumers and the expansion of production and knowledge centers, especially if technologies such as small modular nuclear reactors become more cost-competitive,” he added. In-depth studies are vital to determine whether nuclear force at our sites can be a viable solution in the future. “
GAIN provides the nuclear grid with access to the technical, regulatory, and monetary know-how needed to advance cutting-edge nuclear power technologies toward commercialization. GAIN’s project is the progression and deployment of complex nuclear technologies.
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