Saxton Nuclear Generating Station
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Nuclear power |
| Founded | February 1960 |
| Defunct | May 1972 |
| Fate | Decommissioned and dismantled |
| Headquarters | Saxton , United States |
| Products | Nuclear power generation, nuclear research, operator training |
| Owner | Saxton Nuclear Experimental Corporation, later General Public Utilities Nuclear under FirstEnergy |
The Saxton Nuclear Experiment Station, also referred to as the Saxton Nuclear Generating Station or the Saxton Nuclear Experimental Corporation Facility, was a modest-sized nuclear power installation located in Bedford County, close to Saxton, Pennsylvania.
Design
Saxton consisted of a compact, light water pressurized water reactor positioned next to the 1923 Saxton Steam Generating Station, a coal-fired plant, enabling shared use of certain systems; notably, it did not possess its own turbine or electrical generator.
The reactor was conceptualized and constructed by Westinghouse Electric Corporation, utilizing Westinghouse-manufactured fuel composed of uranium-235 supplied by the Atomic Energy Commission. Its reactor coolant system operated on a single loop, incorporating the reactor vessel, pump, pressurizer, and steam generator. Operating conditions were maintained at 2,250 psig and 493°F, aligning with specifications typical of later commercial reactors. The facility also included a superheated steam test loop intended for developmental testing, along with process piping, a spent fuel storage pool, and an overhead polar crane.
Encased within a steel containment structure measuring 109 feet in height and 50 feet in diameter—with approximately half of its volume situated underground for radiation shielding—the reactor and coolant system were securely housed. Subterranean tunnels linked the containment building to auxiliary facilities and the neighboring steam plant.
Situated on the Raystown Branch of the Juniata River roughly three-quarters of a mile north from Saxton’s town center, the plant’s location was chosen to optimize integration with preexisting infrastructure.
Nuclear fuel
A distinctive feature of the Saxton reactor was its pioneering routine use of mixed oxide (MOX) fuels, incorporating various fuel assemblies and cladding materials within a single core. For instance, during its second core loading, assemblies included:
- Low-enriched uranium oxide (UO2) clad in stainless steel;
- Mixed plutonium oxide (PuO2) and UO2 clad with zirconium;
- PuO2 - UO2 assemblies clad in both zirconium and stainless steel.
Fuel rods were enclosed inside perforated stainless steel cylindrical containers known as "cans," arranged in a 9 by 9 rod grid within square cross-section fuel assemblies. These assemblies contained between 32 and 72 rods and accommodated control rods, instrumentation devices, and other inserts. Overall, the Saxton core comprised 21 such fuel assemblies.
Operation
The construction phase of the Saxton Nuclear Experimental Generating Station commenced in February 1960 as a privately funded project designed by Westinghouse Electric Corporation. By late 1961, construction was largely finalized, allowing the plant to connect to an adjacent turbine generator at Pennsylvania Electric Company's Saxton Steam Generating Station for electricity production.
The facility was granted its operating license by the Atomic Energy Commission on November 15, 1961. It delivered a net thermal output of 23.5 MW and an electrical output of 3.25 MW. The primary purpose was research into nuclear reactor technology and training personnel. Research efforts concentrated on chemical reactivity management using boron and applications involving MOX fuels. The plant served as a training ground for numerous reactor operators from SNEC and Westinghouse clients, focusing heavily on operational exercises such as shutdowns and startups rather than maximizing power output—for example, conducting 79 criticality cycles during July 1969 alone to facilitate operator instruction.
Shutdown and decommissioning
The facility ceased operations in May 1972 and was subsequently dismantled. The reactor fuel was extracted and transported to the Department of Energy's Savannah River Site located in South Carolina.
By 2005, the processes of decommissioning, decontamination, and environmental restoration had been finalized. Apart from certain electrical components that remain connected to the regional power grid, all surface-level structures were demolished and cleared away.
Owners/operators
Ownership and management of the site initially belonged to Saxton Nuclear Experimental Corporation (SNEC), a coalition of Mid-Atlantic utility companies dedicated to nuclear energy development. Later, through corporate mergers, control transferred to General Public Utilities Nuclear under FirstEnergy.
Status
On November 7, 2005, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission officially revoked Facility Operating License DPR-4 (NRC Docket No. 50-146), thereby authorizing unrestricted use of the premises.
Further reading
Will Davis. "The Hook-Ons" American Nuclear Society. [1]
See also
External links
- Energy infrastructure completed in 1961
- Buildings and structures in Bedford County, Pennsylvania
- Former nuclear power stations in the United States
- Nuclear power plants in Pennsylvania
- FirstEnergy
- Former power stations in Pennsylvania
- Energy infrastructure closed in the 1970s
- 1972 disestablishments in Pennsylvania