Since the earliest commercial nuclear reactors, a half-century ago, Bechtel has played a pivotal role in every phase of the industry’s development.
Bechtel has completed more than 74,000 megawatts of new nuclear generation capacity, and has performed engineering and/or construction services on more than 80 percent of nuclear plants in the United States and 150 worldwide.
In addition, we have more than 2,200 nuclear professionals, which include approximately 150 internationally recognized technical specialists who have been published widely, and have participated in developing industry standards and guidelines.
Our new nuclear design and licensing activities are supported by more than 100 specialists, 11 Bechtel Distinguished Engineers and Scientists, and 9 Bechtel Fellows who are nationally or internationally known in their respective fields of seismology, civil/ structural design, water use, meteorology, hydrology, soil structure interaction, metallurgy, and hydraulics.
Major modifications
We have successfully completed 34 steam generator replacements, 11 reactor head replacements, 7 extended power uprates, and the first major underground pipe replacement in the nuclear industry.
We completed extended power uprates at Point Beach nuclear plant in Wisconsin and at the St. Lucie and Turkey Point nuclear plants in Florida.
Power Magazine named Turkey Point and St. Lucie uprates as Top Plants in 2013. Called "one of the largest extended power uprate projects of its kind in U.S. history," Florida Power & Light estimates that 148 megawatts was added at St. Lucie Unit 1, 132 megawatts at St. Lucie Unit 2, and between 115 megawatts and 123 megawatts at each Turkey Point unit, about 30% more than the expected 399 megawatts.
New-build and advanced reactors
Bechtel continues to play a critical role in the engineering and construction of current and future nuclear plants. The company was selected to join a consortium performing front-end engineering and design of a two-reactor plant in Wales, UK; and engages with a number of visionary companies designing advanced nuclear reactors.
Featured expertise
- Project management
- Design and engineering
- Engineering services
- Procurement
- Planning, scheduling, and cost control
- Steam generator and reactor pressure vessel head replacements
- Power uprates
- Underground and above ground pipe replacement
- Plant recovery support
- Licensing and permitting
- Technology selection
- Cooling water intake issues: 316(b)
- Analog-to-digital conversion
- Start-up testing
- Fukushima-related issues
- Cybersecurity
Featured projects
- Plant Vogtle Units 3 & 4, Waynesboro, Georgia
- Watts Bar Nuclear Generating Station, Tennessee, USA
- NextEra Energy Resources; Point Beach, Turkey Point, and St. Lucie, USA
- Bellefonte, USA
- Hinkley Point, Somerset County, UK
- Clinch River, Tennessee, USA
- Wolf Creek Nuclear Operating Company, Kansas, USA
- Southern Nuclear Company, USA
- Horizon Wylfa Newydd, Wales, UK
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