Virgil C Summer nuclear power plant 1
Gross capacity
1,006MW
Virgil C Summer nuclear power plant 1 is a pressurised water reactor unit at Virgil C Summer nuclear power plant in United States rated at 1,006 MW gross. It is operating. Commercial operation began 1 Jan 1984.
Specification
| Reactor type | Pressurised water reactor (PWR) |
|---|---|
| Model | WH 3LP (DRYAMB) |
| Size class | Large |
| Coolant | Light water |
| Moderator | Light water |
| Gross capacity | 1,006MW |
| Net capacity (reference) | 973MW |
| Net capacity (design) | 900MW |
| Thermal output | 2,900MWt |
| Typical enrichment | 3–5% U-235 |
Ownership & location
| Site | Virgil C Summer nuclear power plant |
|---|---|
| Unit | 1 |
| Country | United States |
| Owner | South Carolina Electric & Gas Co100% |
| Operator | South Carolina Electric & Gas |
| Coordinates | 34.2983, -81.3153 |
Fuel chain for this unit
Fuel form
Uranium dioxide pellets in zirconium-alloy cladding
Enrichment
3–5% U-235
Who makes this assembly
- China National Nuclear Corporation PWR fuel assemblies
- ENUSA Industrias Avanzadas PWR and BWR fuel assemblies
- Framatome PWR fuel assemblies
- KEPCO Nuclear Fuel PWR fuel assemblies
- Mitsubishi Heavy Industries PWR fuel assemblies
- Westinghouse Electric Company PWR fuel assemblies
Upstream
Enriched fuel means this unit sits downstream of five conversion plants and four enrichment operators holding 88% of world capacity between the top three.
Fabricator capability is recorded against reactor type and model line, not against named units —
utilities do not publish fuel contracts. See the fuel chain.
Timeline
- 21 Mar 1973Construction start
- 22 Oct 1982First criticality
- 16 Nov 1982Grid connection
- 1 Jan 1984Commercial operation
Other units at Virgil C Summer nuclear power plant
| Unit | Status | Gross MW |
|---|---|---|
| Virgil C Summer nuclear power plant 2 | Mothballed | 1,117 |
| Virgil C Summer nuclear power plant 3 | Mothballed | 1,117 |
Other WH 3LP (DRYAMB) units
7 units worldwide share this model designation.
| Unit | Country | Status | Gross MW |
|---|---|---|---|
| H. B. Robinson nuclear power plant 2 | United States | 780 | |
| Joseph M Farley nuclear power plant 1 | United States | 918 | |
| Joseph M Farley nuclear power plant 2 | United States | 928 | |
| Shearon Harris nuclear power plant 1 | United States | 980 | |
| Turkey Point nuclear power station 3 | United States | 829 | |
| Turkey Point nuclear power station 4 | United States | 829 |
Sources
- Global Nuclear Power Tracker, Global Energy Monitor, August 2026 release — CC BY 4.0 · retrieved 2026-09-06 · this unit last researched by GEM on 2024-05-29
- GEM.wiki entry (further reading) — CC BY-SA 4.0 — linked, not quoted