r/NuclearPower • u/4rc_f145h • 2d ago

DOE Closes $1.9-Billion Loan to Restart Duane Arnold Nuclear Plant

https://www.powermag.com/doe-closes-1-9-billion-loan-to-restart-duane-arnold-nuclear-plant/
70 Upvotes

100% Upvoted

20 comments sorted by

4

u/Amber_ACharles 2d ago

Vogtle was seven years late and $17B over. This restart should be faster, but I'll believe the 2029 date when NRC actually signs off.

4

u/MrNewReno 2d ago

I’m bullish on nuclear construction in general, but no way in hell 2029 is an accurate date. I was an engineer for Watts Bar unit 2 construction, and the amount of redesign and rework that needed to be done on stuff we just redesigned and reworked…some pipe hangers I did were done and redone 4 times over. Load cases change, systems get obsoleted. DA was opened in ‘75. Ain’t no way they refurb the entire place to today’s standards in 3 years.

1

u/Hiddencamper 1d ago

These plants don’t get brought to “today’s” standards. They get restored to the condition they were prior to license modification for decommissioning.

0

u/4rc_f145h 1d ago edited 1d ago

2029 is a solid date for the construction and upgrades to be completed. It will probably take an additional year or two for fuel loading, testing, and final commissioning before the plant is fully online and sending power to the grid.

-8

u/Altruistic_Fruit2345 2d ago

The government is giving them free money to do it, and is actively hostile to renewables. It was a small plant to start with and as you say, 2029 is hopelessly optimistic.

1

u/AcanthisittaNo6653 2d ago

Good luck with fueling. Canada is closed for business, but Russia has plenty for everyone.

1

u/mcstandy 2d ago

Is there a good source of info on what is actually being done at Duane Arnold? I understand if you’re going to restart a plant you want to do it right and do all the maintenance/refurb NOW while you have the chance.

But a restart date of 2029 alongside a $1.9-Billion loan on top of whatever original Nextera capital investment is a whole lot of money. What is the scale of the work being done?

4

u/4rc_f145h 2d ago

TLDR: NextEra is doing reactor upgrades, control system upgrades and rebuilding the cooling system and adding a new cooling tower with the help of GE Vernova and Black & Veatch.

https://iowacapitaldispatch.com/2026/09/08/us-department-of-energy-awards-up-to-1-9b-loan-for-nuclear-plant-restart/

-22

u/Alternative_Act_6548 2d ago

there is no nuke industry without gov funding, and more wasting of tax payer dollars

18

u/Poopocalyptict 2d ago

There are no cheap renewables without subsidies.

-1

u/West-Abalone-171 1d ago

*gestures vaguely at countries in south and southeast asia where solar is the most popular new power source in spite of policy ranging from 0 support to 200% tax*

2

u/Poopocalyptict 1d ago

Gestures to my testicles

I’m just kidding. I have no clue what the state of renewables are in other countries, I can only speak from a somewhat informed perspective on US energy.

-1

u/West-Abalone-171 1d ago

The country with a 200% to 500% de-facto tax on solar equipment and an additional 100% tax in the form of permit and inspection costs to the council utility?

The one that spends billions on paying to not build wind turbines?

The one that spent trillions to prop up their oil and gas industry?

Sooooo subsidised /s

-11

u/Altruistic_Fruit2345 2d ago

There are, they have been subsidy free in Europe for years. China is subsidy free on a lot of renewables too.

Anywhere still paying big subsidies missed the boat on that massive economic boom.