The main control room for Unit 3 has now become operational and the plant system testing has begun, making this another significant milestone for the Vogtle nuclear expansion project.

From the main control room, operators will monitor and control the technology and equipment essential for testing the unit’s systems and safely starting the plant.

“Bringing the Unit 3 main control room online is another major step in the project’s transition from construction to system operations,” said Vogtle 3 & 4 Construction Executive Vice President Glen Chick. “The main control room allows us to conduct systems testing of the unit in preparation for initial start-up.”

To begin testing, the main control room has been staffed with highly-trained nuclear operators that have completed multi-year training which culminated with successful completion of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) license exam.

During testing, operators will use the main control room to monitor the plant to ensure that systems are operating as designed for the technologically-advanced AP1000 units

SOURCE Georgia Power