Constellation Energy and Microsoft signed a 20-year energy supply contract in September 2019. Since then, Constellation Energy refurbished the main office building of the first power unit, started the training center upgrade and hired 200 FTEs for different positions. The operator also checked the main equipment including steam generator, rotor, turbine and condensers. Construction of the three new power transformers is in the pipeline; this replacement will cost USD 35 mln.
Upon completion of the upgrade, the power unit will be connected to the regional grid PJM covering 13 East Coast states. The US Nuclear Regulatory Commission will have to approve the relaunch of the reactor. In case of successful passing all the procedures, the reactor will resume generating power in 2028.
The first power unit of Three Mile Island NPP was put on stream in 1974. Its relaunch and the overall surge of interest towards nuclear power in the US is associated with the development of data centers infrastructure. According to the forecast by S&P Global Platts, the US data centers’ demand for electricity is to grow more than by 700 TWh between 2023 and 2035.
To a great extent, this is the main reason for new nuclear energy projects appearing in the USA. They include the agreement between Google and Kairos Power about purchasing electricity from small modular reactors with 500 MW total capacity; the intent of Amazon to invest USD 500 mln into X-Energy to build over 5 GW NPP capacity by 2039; as well as agreement between Endeavour and Deep Fission startup to build over one hundred of micro-reactors 15 MW each, with commissioning of the first one in 2029.
