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Projects
Bechtel was hired by Georgia Power and Southern Nuclear in 2017 to complete construction of two new AP1000 nuclear reactors, Units 3 and 4, at Plant Vogtle in Waynesboro, Georgia. These are the first new nuclear reactors built in the U.S. in over 30 years.
Bechtel completed construction of Unit 3 in 2023, followed closely by Unit 4 in 2024. Both have begun commercial operations, making Plant Vogtle the largest generator of clean energy in the U.S., with each new unit capable of generating enough electricity to power an estimated 500,000 homes and businesses.
The Westinghouse AP1000 is a Generation III+ advanced pressurized water reactor. It relies on gravity and natural circulation for core cooling, even without operator intervention or mechanical assistance. Vogtle Units 3 and 4 are the first Generation III+ units built in the United States.
Designed and licensed to operate for 60 years, Vogtle Units 3 & 4 will reduce carbon emissions by an annual amount equal to taking 1,000,000 cars off the road.
Bechtel’s journey at Plant Vogtle began more than 20 years ago when we helped to build Vogtle Units 1 & 2, which were brought online in the 1980s. Units 1 & 2 have been renewed to operate until 2047 and 2049, respectively, which is 20 years beyond the previous licenses.
Plant Vogtle Units 3 & 4 are powering progress, creating thousands of jobs during construction & delivering reliable energy to 1M+ homes & businesses
At full-operations, Plant Vogtle Units 3 & 4 will provide safe and reliable energy to 1 million homes and businesses in the Southeast.
At peak construction, Plant Vogtle supported more than 9,000 jobs on site.
Plant Vogtle will support 800 permanent jobs.
Plant Vogtle is an essential part of Southern Company’s goal to be net zero by 2050 and Georgia Power’s commitment to deliver clean and affordable energy to its customers, especially as the state’s population expands by a projected more than 4 million by 2030.
The project was the country’s second-largest construction project and the largest jobs-producing construction site in Georgia, with up to 9,000 workers on-site and over 800 permanent jobs available once the units began operating.
Through our NABTU partnership, we staffed the project by utilizing Apprenticeship Readiness Programs (ARPs) and Helmets to Hardhats. More than 30% of Vogtle hires were veterans and reservists.
ARP apprentices have the opportunity to “earn while they learn” working toward journey person status while receiving healthcare and retirement benefits. More than 40% of ARP apprentices at Vogtle were women, and more than 80% were from underrepresented groups.
Out of the site’s 3,100 acreage, nearly one-third is devoted to supporting native species and replanting loblolly and longleaf pine trees. Plant Vogtle has been a certified wildlife habitat by the Wildlife Habitat Council since 1993, and it has a Safe Harbor Agreement with the Georgia Department of Natural Resources to protect the endangered red-cockaded woodpecker.
Protecting the native floral and fauna has been an essential component to the Vogtle team’s work on site. We work with local bird rehabilitation facilities to successfully rehabilitate threatened and protected bird species, including the peregrine falcon and turkey vulture. Additionally, the Vogtle team works with local beekeepers to protect the bee population. Together, they have collected and relocated honeybees to established hive areas, preserving a vital resource for the local environment.
Nuclear energy is the largest clean energy source in the U.S., producing more carbon-free electricity than all other sources combined, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration. In 2020, data showed that nuclear energy generated more than half of the U.S.’s emission-free electricity, which was:
Nuclear energy generated more than 2.5 times more electricity than hydropower.
Nuclear energy generated more than twice as much electricity as wind power.
Nuclear energy generated more than 8 times more electricity than solar power.
Additionally, Plant Vogtle will prevent up to 10 million tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions annually, the equivalent of removing one million cars from the road.
The energy created from one uranium fuel pellet, which is about the size of a fingertip, is comparable to one ton of coal or 17,000 cubic feet of natural gas, and unlike renewables, nuclear energy is “baseload” power available 24/7 regardless of sun or wind.
