View source for Surry Nuclear Power Plant

{{Short description|Nuclear power plant located in Surry County, Virginia}}
{{Infobox power station
| name = Surry Nuclear Power Plant
| name_official = 
| image = HD.6D.371 (10856487633).jpg
| image_size = 
| image_caption = 
| image_alt = 
| coordinates = {{coord|37|9|56|N|76|41|52|W|region:US-VA_type:landmark|display=inline,title}}
| country = United States
| location = [[Surry County, Virginia|Surry County]], near [[Rushmere, Virginia]]
| status = O
| construction_began = {{start date|1968|6|25}}
| commissioned = Unit 1: December 22, 1972<br/>Unit 2: May 1, 1973<ref>[http://www.eia.doe.gov/cneaf/nuclear/state_profiles/virginia/va.html Virginia Nuclear Power Plants], eia.doe.gov</ref>
| decommissioned = 
| cost = $1.868 billion (2007 USD)<ref>{{cite web|title=EIA - State Nuclear Profiles|url=https://www.eia.gov/nuclear/state/archive/2010/virginia/|website=www.eia.gov|access-date=3 October 2017|language=en}}</ref>
| owner = [[Dominion Energy|Dominion Resources]]
| operator = [[Dominion Energy]]
<!------------------------- NUCLEAR POWER STATIONS -->| np_reactor_type = PWR
| np_reactor_supplier = [[Westinghouse Electric Company|Westinghouse]]
| np_fuel_type = 
| np_fuel_supplier = 
| ps_cogeneration = 
| ps_cooling_source = [[James River]]
| ps_cooling_towers = <!------------------------- GENERAL -->
| ps_units_operational = 2 × 838 MW
| ps_units_manu_model = [[Westinghouse Electric Company|WH]] 3-loop (DRYSUB)
| ps_units_uc = 
| ps_units_planned = 
| ps_units_cancelled = 2 × 859 MW
| ps_units_decommissioned = 
| ps_thermal_capacity = 2 × 2587 MW<sub>th</sub>
| ps_heating_capacity = 
| ps_electrical_capacity = 1676
| ps_electrical_cap_fac = 98.27% (2017)<br/>77.5% (lifetime)
| ps_storage_capacity = 
| ps_annual_generation = 13,199 GW·h (2021)
| website = [https://www.dominionenergy.com/projects-and-facilities/nuclear-facilities/surry-power-station Surry Power Station]
| extra = 
}}

'''Surry Power Station''' is a [[nuclear power plant]] located in [[Surry County, Virginia|Surry County]] in southeastern [[Virginia]], in the [[South Atlantic States|South Atlantic United States]]. The power station lies on an {{convert|840|acre|adj=on}} site adjacent to the [[James River (Virginia)|James River]] across from [[Jamestown, Virginia|Jamestown]], slightly upriver from [[Smithfield, Virginia|Smithfield]] and [[Newport News, Virginia|Newport News]]. Surry is operated by Dominion Generation and owned by [[Dominion Resources|Dominion Resources, Inc]].

The Surry plant is similar in appearance and design to its "sister plant" [[North Anna Nuclear Generating Station|North Anna Power Station]], located northwest of [[Richmond, Virginia|Richmond]] in [[Louisa County, Virginia]].

==History==
The plant has two 3-loop [[Westinghouse Electric Company|Westinghouse]] [[pressurized water reactor]]s that went on-line in 1972 and 1973 respectively. Each reactor produces approximately 800&nbsp;[[megawatt]]s of power, for a combined plant output of 1.6&nbsp;gigawatts. Surry Power Station draws its condenser cycle water directly from the James River, removing the need for the imposing [[cooling towers]] often associated with nuclear plants. Repeated testing shows that Surry  Power Station has minimal environmental impact and releases virtually no radiation or harmful emissions.{{According to whom|date=August 2020}}

The station site was originally designed for four units; however, only two reactors were built. With increasing energy demands in the United States, it is possible that more reactors will be built at Surry in the next few decades.

In 2003, the [[Nuclear Regulatory Commission]] (NRC) extended the operating licenses for both reactors from forty to sixty years. In 2016 its owner announced it intended in due course to seek an extension to eighty years of operation, to 2052 and 2053.<ref name=nei-20160330>{{cite news |url=http://www.neimagazine.com/features/featuresurry-to-seek-80-year-operation-4849335/ |title=Surry to seek 80-year operation |publisher=Nuclear Engineering International |date=30 March 2016 |access-date=7 April 2016}}</ref> This extension to 80 years was obtained in 2021.

Surry was one of the plants analyzed in the [[NUREG-1150]] safety analysis study.

== Electricity production ==
{| class="wikitable"
|+'''Generation ('''[[Kilowatt-hour|MWh]]''') of Surry Nuclear Power Plant'''<ref>{{Cite web |title=Electricity Data Browser |url=https://www.eia.gov/electricity/data/browser/#/plant/3806/?freq=M&pin= |access-date=2023-01-08 |website=www.eia.gov}}</ref>
!Year
!Jan
!Feb
!Mar
!Apr
!May
!Jun
!Jul
!Aug
!Sep
!Oct
!Nov
!Dec
!Annual (Total)
|-
!2001
|<small>1,225,561</small>
|<small>1,060,337</small>
|<small>1,228,352</small>
|<small>1,187,896</small>
|<small>969,142</small>
|<small>1,177,965</small>
|<small>1,215,263</small>
|<small>1,211,610</small>
|<small>1,154,030</small>
|<small>826,415</small>
|<small>374,240</small>
|<small>1,031,565</small>
!12,662,376
|-
!2002
|<small>1,228,721</small>
|<small>1,110,246</small>
|<small>1,056,959</small>
|<small>739,138</small>
|<small>1,213,943</small>
|<small>1,177,863</small>
|<small>1,211,993</small>
|<small>1,201,937</small>
|<small>1,173,610</small>
|<small>1,226,521</small>
|<small>1,104,118</small>
|<small>1,227,078</small>
!13,672,127
|-
!2003
|<small>832,171</small>
|<small>1,105,668</small>
|<small>1,225,651</small>
|<small>964,865</small>
|<small>613,882</small>
|<small>838,684</small>
|<small>1,214,775</small>
|<small>1,211,227</small>
|<small>845,594</small>
|<small>432,451</small>
|<small>584,347</small>
|<small>1,162,583</small>
!11,031,898
|-
!2004
|<small>1,224,143</small>
|<small>1,147,376</small>
|<small>1,207,954</small>
|<small>1,186,838</small>
|<small>1,020,479</small>
|<small>1,178,560</small>
|<small>1,211,883</small>
|<small>1,216,254</small>
|<small>1,179,727</small>
|<small>1,200,648</small>
|<small>595,974</small>
|<small>1,139,032</small>
!13,508,868
|-
!2005
|<small>1,210,455</small>
|<small>983,675</small>
|<small>1,211,447</small>
|<small>1,029,850</small>
|<small>739,938</small>
|<small>1,161,554</small>
|<small>1,189,562</small>
|<small>1,189,337</small>
|<small>1,154,794</small>
|<small>983,944</small>
|<small>1,165,976</small>
|<small>1,209,660</small>
!13,230,192
|-
!2006
|<small>1,196,556</small>
|<small>1,090,442</small>
|<small>1,207,274</small>
|<small>1,007,652</small>
|<small>665,205</small>
|<small>1,159,475</small>
|<small>1,185,059</small>
|<small>1,192,636</small>
|<small>1,162,530</small>
|<small>730,588</small>
|<small>753,670</small>
|<small>1,149,271</small>
!12,500,358
|-
!2007
|<small>1,152,406</small>
|<small>1,093,887</small>
|<small>1,211,981</small>
|<small>1,173,060</small>
|<small>1,188,067</small>
|<small>1,162,686</small>
|<small>1,197,734</small>
|<small>1,193,864</small>
|<small>1,158,657</small>
|<small>985,363</small>
|<small>586,204</small>
|<small>1,177,639</small>
!13,281,548
|-
!2008
|<small>1,209,020</small>
|<small>1,128,558</small>
|<small>1,207,761</small>
|<small>972,579</small>
|<small>793,977</small>
|<small>1,156,533</small>
|<small>1,192,248</small>
|<small>1,191,022</small>
|<small>1,154,573</small>
|<small>1,113,432</small>
|<small>1,168,804</small>
|<small>1,208,832</small>
!13,497,339
|-
!2009
|<small>1,207,945</small>
|<small>1,090,735</small>
|<small>1,207,459</small>
|<small>933,336</small>
|<small>971,568</small>
|<small>1,158,708</small>
|<small>1,193,468</small>
|<small>1,187,724</small>
|<small>1,157,381</small>
|<small>1,148,905</small>
|<small>581,326</small>
|<small>1,171,087</small>
!13,009,642
|-
!2010
|<small>1,207,095</small>
|<small>1,090,364</small>
|<small>1,206,292</small>
|<small>1,167,456</small>
|<small>1,200,049</small>
|<small>1,073,987</small>
|<small>1,086,221</small>
|<small>1,182,034</small>
|<small>1,152,587</small>
|<small>1,020,016</small>
|<small>583,681</small>
|<small>1,202,655</small>
!13,172,437
|-
!2011
|<small>1,255,838</small>
|<small>821,774</small>
|<small>1,252,130</small>
|<small>774,846</small>
|<small>646,369</small>
|<small>742,270</small>
|<small>1,242,517</small>
|<small>1,246,562</small>
|<small>1,216,521</small>
|<small>1,283,124</small>
|<small>1,242,931</small>
|<small>1,304,598</small>
!13,029,480
|-
!2012
|<small>1,297,009</small>
|<small>1,216,160</small>
|<small>1,210,842</small>
|<small>1,076,066</small>
|<small>732,002</small>
|<small>1,078,831</small>
|<small>1,238,784</small>
|<small>1,230,125</small>
|<small>1,222,836</small>
|<small>1,261,303</small>
|<small>603,511</small>
|<small>1,222,731</small>
!13,390,200
|-
!2013
|<small>1,261,464</small>
|<small>1,129,879</small>
|<small>1,300,088</small>
|<small>1,249,368</small>
|<small>1,280,337</small>
|<small>1,228,918</small>
|<small>1,253,306</small>
|<small>1,262,015</small>
|<small>1,225,823</small>
|<small>1,017,246</small>
|<small>808,583</small>
|<small>1,303,931</small>
!14,320,958
|-
!2014
|<small>1,301,755</small>
|<small>1,176,118</small>
|<small>1,229,149</small>
|<small>1,019,620</small>
|<small>835,750</small>
|<small>1,223,636</small>
|<small>1,260,829</small>
|<small>1,265,490</small>
|<small>1,229,250</small>
|<small>1,229,625</small>
|<small>1,256,656</small>
|<small>1,304,447</small>
!14,332,325
|-
!2015
|<small>1,277,501</small>
|<small>1,176,897</small>
|<small>1,296,641</small>
|<small>968,366</small>
|<small>686,964</small>
|<small>1,216,890</small>
|<small>801,448</small>
|<small>1,254,474</small>
|<small>1,225,591</small>
|<small>615,780</small>
|<small>245,845</small>
|<small>1,023,329</small>
!11,789,726
|-
!2016
|<small>1,303,449</small>
|<small>1,219,882</small>
|<small>1,299,617</small>
|<small>1,251,972</small>
|<small>1,286,370</small>
|<small>1,227,444</small>
|<small>1,251,854</small>
|<small>1,248,690</small>
|<small>1,227,244</small>
|<small>986,585</small>
|<small>1,025,736</small>
|<small>1,281,675</small>
!14,610,518
|-
!2017
|<small>1,305,589</small>
|<small>1,174,594</small>
|<small>1,297,185</small>
|<small>1,240,477</small>
|<small>733,971</small>
|<small>1,145,667</small>
|<small>1,252,816</small>
|<small>1,201,355</small>
|<small>1,233,104</small>
|<small>1,282,703</small>
|<small>1,257,863</small>
|<small>1,302,323</small>
!14,427,647
|-
!2018
|<small>1,293,675</small>
|<small>1,174,666</small>
|<small>1,299,162</small>
|<small>1,009,012</small>
|<small>644,130</small>
|<small>1,216,093</small>
|<small>1,258,070</small>
|<small>1,250,684</small>
|<small>1,212,072</small>
|<small>1,057,092</small>
|<small>633,682</small>
|<small>1,170,799</small>
!13,219,137
|-
!2019
|<small>1,303,335</small>
|<small>1,176,810</small>
|<small>1,300,713</small>
|<small>1,232,459</small>
|<small>1,267,967</small>
|<small>1,221,141</small>
|<small>1,248,462</small>
|<small>1,258,390</small>
|<small>1,226,321</small>
|<small>1,010,449</small>
|<small>636,710</small>
|<small>1,290,220</small>
!14,172,977
|-
!2020
|<small>1,297,877</small>
|<small>1,208,164</small>
|<small>1,288,067</small>
|<small>1,191,184</small>
|<small>675,186</small>
|<small>1,132,843</small>
|<small>1,240,758</small>
|<small>1,246,729</small>
|<small>1,221,929</small>
|<small>1,296,454</small>
|<small>1,248,076</small>
|<small>1,292,884</small>
!14,340,151
|-
!2021
|<small>1,296,333</small>
|<small>1,178,157</small>
|<small>1,260,656</small>
|<small>1,076,493</small>
|<small>644,021</small>
|<small>1,167,348</small>
|<small>1,243,871</small>
|<small>1,243,278</small>
|<small>1,205,027</small>
|<small>1,018,309</small>
|<small>626,685</small>
|<small>1,239,692</small>
!13,199,870
|-
!2022
|<small>1,299,601</small>
|<small>1,171,916</small>
|<small>1,283,878</small>
|<small>1,232,442</small>
|<small>1,265,256</small>
|<small>1,198,849</small>
|<small>1,244,578</small>
|<small>1,241,395</small>
|<small>1,215,165</small>
|<small>1,195,073</small>
|<small>633,675</small>
|<small>944,613</small>
!13,926,441
|-
!2023
|<small>1,263,832</small>
|<small>1,171,209</small>
|<small>1,292,501</small>
|<small>1,018,983</small>
|<small>639,593</small>
|<small>922,550</small>
|<small>1,232,461</small>
|<small>1,238,233</small>
|<small>1,218,365</small>
|<small>1,285,206</small>
|<small>1,252,876</small>
|<small>1,298,860</small>
!13,834,669
|-
!2024
|<small>1,296,965</small>
|<small>1,208,648</small>
|<small>1,288,642</small>
|<small>742,404</small>
|<small>642,207</small>
|<small>1,107,769</small>
|<small>1,245,301</small>
|<small>1,252,696</small>
|<small>1,221,316</small>
|<small>1,149,786</small>
|<small>625,920</small>
|<small>1,139,889</small>
!12,921,543
|-
!2025
|<small>1,299,541</small>
|<small>1,170,385</small>
|<small>1,290,248</small>
|<small>1,236,030</small>
|<small></small>
|<small></small>
|<small></small>
|<small></small>
|<small></small>
|<small></small>
|<small></small>
|<small></small>
!--
|-
|}

==Surrounding population==
The [[Nuclear Regulatory Commission]] defines two emergency planning zones around nuclear power plants: a plume exposure pathway zone with a radius of {{convert|10|mi}}, concerned primarily with exposure to, and inhalation of, airborne radioactive contamination, and an ingestion pathway zone of about {{convert|50|mi}}, concerned primarily with ingestion of food and liquid contaminated by radioactivity.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.nrc.gov/about-nrc/emerg-preparedness/about-emerg-preparedness/planning-zones.html|title=NRC: Emergency Planning Zones|website=United States Nuclear Regulatory Commission|access-date=2019-12-22}}</ref>

The 2010 U.S. population within {{convert|10|mi}} of Surry was 127,041, an increase of 21.9 percent in a decade, according to an analysis of U.S. Census data for msnbc.com. The 2010 U.S. population within {{convert|50|mi}} was 2,292,642, an increase of 13.9 percent since 2000. Cities within 50 miles include Hopewell, Petersburg, Williamsburg, Newport News, Hampton, Poquoson, Portsmouth, Norfolk (30 miles to city center), Virginia Beach (47 miles to city center), and Richmond (50 miles to city center).<ref>{{Cite web |date=2011-04-14 |title=Nuclear neighbors: Population rises near US reactors |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/id/wbna42555888 |access-date=2024-08-16 |website=NBC News |language=en}}</ref>

== Events ==

* On July 27, 1972, two workers were fatally scalded after a routine valve adjustment led to a steam release in a gap in a vent line.
* On May 8, 1979, FBI agents investigated a white crystalline substance that had been poured into 62 fresh fuels elements kept in storage at the plant, a day after plant officials made the discovery. Westinghouse metallurgists found no damage to the fuel elements, including the metal containers and zirconium rods holding the fresh fuel.<ref>{{Cite news|url = https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/local/1979/05/10/fbi-looking-for-motive-in-surry-case/d8776800-2ac0-4a53-a9f0-47cf5594bdf6/|title = FBI Looking For Motive In Surry Case|last = Barker|first = Karlyn|date = 1979-05-10|newspaper = The Washington Post|language = en-US|issn = 0190-8286|access-date = 2016-03-13}}</ref>
* On December 9, 1986, a steam explosion (condensate feed piping ruptured due to internal erosion and over-pressurization when feed pump check valve failed) in the non-nuclear part of Unit 2 injured eight workers. Four later died.<ref>U.S. General Accounting Office assessment of Surry accident, March 18, 1988 http://www.gao.gov/assets/150/146211.pdf</ref>
* On [[Tornado outbreak of April 14–16, 2011|April 16, 2011]], a [[tornado]] touched down in the plant's electrical switching station, disabling primary power to the plant's cooling pumps and causing the backup diesel generators to activate without incident.<ref>Gillard, Eric. [http://www.dailypress.com/news/weather/dp-nws-storm-surry-nuclear-20110417,0,730234.story "Tornado touchdown causes shutdown at Surry nuclear plant"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120112131952/http://www.dailypress.com/news/weather/dp-nws-storm-surry-nuclear-20110417,0,730234.story |date=2012-01-12 }}, ''The'' (Newport News, Va.) ''Daily Press''. April 17, 2011. Retrieved April 17, 2011.</ref><ref>[https://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/doc-collections/event-status/event/2011/20110420en.html#en46761]''NRC Event Notification Report for April 20, 2011''</ref>
* On August 23, 2011, an [[2011 Virginia earthquake|earthquake in central Virginia]] automatically shut down [[North Anna Nuclear Generating Station|Dominion's North Anna]] reactors 11 miles from the epicenter.  The similar Surry reactors continued in operation and Dominion declared a "[https://www.nrc.gov/about-nrc/emerg-preparedness/about-emerg-preparedness/emerg-classification.html Notice of Unusual Event]" (the least dangerous of a [[Nuclear safety in the United States#Emergency Classifications|four-level emergency scale]]) for the Surry plant which was lifted later the same day.<ref>[http://dom.mediaroom.com/index.php?s=43&item=1015 "Dominion's North Anna Power Station Restores Offsite Power"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120219093144/http://dom.mediaroom.com/index.php?s=43 |date=2012-02-19 }} Dominion news release, August 23, 2004. Retrieved 2011-08-25.</ref>

==Seismic risk==
The Nuclear Regulatory Commission's estimate of the risk each year of an earthquake intense enough to cause core damage to the reactor at Surry was 1 in 175,439, according to an NRC study published in August 2010.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2011-03-16 |title=What are the odds? US nuke plants ranked by quake risk |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/id/wbna42103936 |access-date=2024-08-16 |website=NBC News |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://msnbcmedia.msn.com/i/msnbc/Sections/NEWS/quake%20nrc%20risk%20estimates.pdf |title=Archived copy |access-date=2011-06-17 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170525170632/http://msnbcmedia.msn.com/i/msnbc/Sections/NEWS/quake%20nrc%20risk%20estimates.pdf |archive-date=2017-05-25 }}</ref>

==References==
{{Reflist|30em}}

==External links==
{{stack|{{Portal|Virginia|Energy|Nuclear technology}}}}
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20050622024115/http://www.dom.com/about/stations/nuclear/index.jsp Dominion's nuclear page]
*{{cite web
 | url= http://www.eia.doe.gov/cneaf/nuclear/page/at_a_glance/reactors/surry.html 
 | title= Surry Nuclear Generating Station, Virginia 
 | date= October 8, 2008 | publisher= [[U.S. Department of Energy]] (DOE)
 | access-date= 2008-11-17 }}
*{{cite web
 | url= https://www.nrc.gov/info-finder/reactor/sur1.html 
 | title= Surry 1 Pressurized Water Reactor 
 | date= February 14, 2008 | work= Operating Nuclear Power Reactors 
 | publisher= U.S. [[Nuclear Regulatory Commission]] (NRC) 
 | access-date= 2008-11-17 }}
*{{cite web
 | url= https://www.nrc.gov/info-finder/reactor/sur2.html 
 | title= Surry 2 Pressurized Water Reactor 
 | date= February 14, 2008 | work= Operating Nuclear Power Reactors 
 | publisher= U.S. [[Nuclear Regulatory Commission]] (NRC) 
 | access-date= 2008-11-17 }}

{{U.S. Nuclear Plants}}

[[Category:Energy infrastructure completed in 1972]]
[[Category:Energy infrastructure completed in 1973]]
[[Category:Buildings and structures in Surry County, Virginia]]
[[Category:Nuclear power plants in Virginia]]
[[Category:Nuclear power stations using pressurized water reactors]]