SCE decided to replace the San Onofre plant’s steam generators when a cost-benefit assessment revealed that the overhaul could save customers some $1bn during the plant’s current license period, which runs through 2022, the company said.
Each of the four new steam generators, two per reactor, is 65ft tall, 22ft in diameter and weighs 640 tons.
The components produce steam that drives the plant’s huge turbines, generating enough total electricity to serve 1.4 million average homes.
Removing the original components and installing the replacement equipment required cutting a temporary opening in the side of each of two protective concrete domes.
SCE said that the plant’s steam generators were among the last in the US nuclear power fleet to require replacement.
