Duke Energy on Thursday said it had selected a contractor to expedite decommissioning of its retired Crystal River nuclear power plant in Florida.
The power company now anticipates decommissioning will wrap up by 2027, decades earlier than the prior end date of 2074.
Pending state and federal regulatory approval, Accelerated Decommissioning Partners, a team of NorthStar Group Services and Orano, would become the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission-licensed operator of the single-reactor facility in Citrus County. It would also take ownership of the used reactor fuel storage pad at Crystal River.
Duke would remain the site’s Nuclear Regulatory Commission-licensed owner.
Duke closed Crystal River in 2013 rather than trying to fix the reactor containment building. It placed the reactor into SAFSTOR mode in 2015, under which final decommissioning could be delayed for up to six decades. The company acknowledged earlier this year it was considering options to speed up that process.
Decommissioning is now due to begin next year. It will cover removal and disposal of the reactor vessel and other contaminated equipment and demolition of the plant.
In a press release, Duke said its trust fund for decommissioning the plant can cover the cost without requiring the company to boost ratepayer bills. The trust held $717 million as of March 31 of this year. The decommissioning contract is valued at $540 million.
Faster decommissioning will also enable Duke to more quickly put the property to another use. It has not decided what that might involve, but currently does not intend to sell the land, the release says.
