Holtec International is celebrating another milestone as it seeks to restart the Palisades nuclear power plant in Van Buren County.
Company spokesperson Nick Culp tells us on Monday, the facility in Covert Township officially transitioned from decommissioning to operations status under the oversight of the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission. He says that sets the stage for the plant to resume full operations.
“We’re now authorized as a plant to accept new fuel and place it into our reactor,” Culp said. “We have moved our operations team and other technical personnel to a shift rotation that would be the same as any other operating nuclear plant.”
They’ve also instated operating tech specs, which are unique to an operating plant, and they’re reinstituting the local emergency response plan. Culp says all of this tees Palisades up to resume operations late this year.
What’s left to do?
“There are things like fire protection modifications that need to be complete, some handling equipment that’s going to be replaced, other upgrades and repairs, and all of that needs to be completed before the plant goes back online.”
Culp says the team at Holtec is proud to have made so much progress.
If Palisades resumes operations this year, it will be the first time a decommissioned nuclear power plant has ever been restarted.
