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Wärtsilä to Supply the Engineering and Equipment to East Kentucky Power Cooperative for 217-MW Power Plant

LCG, August 27, 2025--Wärtsilä Energy announced yesterday an agreement with East Kentucky Power Cooperative (EKPC) to supply the engineering and equipment for a 217-MW power plant to be constructed in Liberty, Kentucky. The Wärtsilä equipment is scheduled for delivery in mid-2027, and the plant is expected to be commissioned in early 2028.

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TerraPower, Utah's Office of Energy Development, and Flagship Companies Sign MOU to Identify Sites for Advanced Nuclear Reactors

LCG, August 25, 2025--The Utah Office of Energy Development (OED), TerraPower and Flagship Companies announced today the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to explore the potential siting of a Natrium® nuclear reactor and energy storage plant in Utah. The MOU establishes a shared commitment to support advanced nuclear technologies to build Utah’s energy future and to prioritize reliability, economic growth and energy abundance.

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Industry News

South Texas Nuclear Outage May Raise Natural Gas Costs

LCG, May 8, 2003Analysts project that Texas natural gas prices may increase because of the prolonged shutdown of a nuclear plant called South Texas Project.

Centerpoint Energy-owned South Texas Project normally is capable of producing 1,250 megawatts, but the generator was pulled off line due to worrisome corrosion on the bottom of the reactor vessel.

Almost two thirds of the states electric capacity comes from natural gas-fired sources, and some generator owners are concerned about gas prices as the hottest months of the year draw near.

According to the Dow Jones Newswires, an estimated additional 10 billion cubic feet per month will be used in order to compensate for power lost due to South Texas shutdown.

The plants corrosion is especially foreboding because the reactor is fairly young and has yet to show any sign of true malfunctioning. If nothing is found out of place in the generators system, the implication will be that corrosion of this type is due to normal wear - not something a plant owner wants to hear.

Corrosion is often induced by the acidic conditions in the reactor vessel. Boric acid, commonly used during the reaction, unfortunately also aids in oxidizing the metal and can help to form holes in the reaction vessel. Holes in the bottom of the vessel are especially difficult to repair.

Recently several other reactors have been found to have cracks and corrosion-related damage, including a Florida Power & Light reactor, Duke Powers Oconee Unit 3 in South Carolina, and last year, FirstEnergys Davis-Besse reactor in Ohio.

The generator will be kept off line until thorough investigations are made, possibly through the summer or longer.

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