STP News Release

  October 15, 1997 -FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

STP UNIT 1 RESUMES 100-PERCENT POWER OPERATIONS
FOLLOWING SAFE, EFFICIENT REFUELING OUTAGE

Oct. 15, 1997 -- Bay City, TX--Electricity production at South Texas Project Unit 1 resumed at 2:33 p.m. Oct. 4, just 21.6 days after the Sept. 13 start of its refueling outage. Company officials credit excellent outage preparation and work scheduling, the superior material condition of plant equipment and the extraordinary teamwork and safety-consciousness displayed by plant personnel as the most significant factors in the efficient outage.

The 21.6-day achievement is the briefest in STP Unit 1’s history and the second-best performed at STP. In February 1997, a refueling outage at STP Unit 2 was completed in 17.6 days. This set a new standard for U.S. refueling outage performance among the 109 operating U.S. nuclear energy plants, according to Nuclear Energy Institute (NEI) records.

Unit 1 completed its 18-month operations cycle without a single unplanned shutdown and was on line 456 out of a possible 460 days between refueling outages. Due to this outstanding performance, the unit required the largest fuel re-load in its operating history with 97 of the 193 nuclear fuel assemblies replaced. Work teams also performed complete Steam Generator inspections, disassembled and inspected the high-pressure turbine and completed about 1,800 maintenance and surveillance tasks during the outage. Maintenance and engineering teams also performed modifications inside the Reactor Containment Building in advance support of the Unit 1 steam generator replacement scheduled for 2000. Detailed inspections of numerous systems showed the plant continues to be maintained in excellent condition during operations, which permits the work force to remain focused on scheduled outage tasks.

STP Unit 1 joined Unit 2 in 100-percent power operations on Oct. 11, approximately two days later than the original power ascension schedule.

The delay was due to the opening of one of four secondary side steam relief valves as operators returned the plant to full power. Unit 1 was conservatively taken off line and an evaluation was performed. After the he relief valve was replaced the unit was returned to full power operation.

The units collectively generated a plant-record 20.7 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity in 1996. For the year, STP Unit 2 ranked second in the U.S. and sixth in the world for electrical generation, while STP Unit 1 ranked third in the U.S. and seventh in the world. There are 109 operating nuclear plants in the U.S. and 435 world-wide.

"The STP work force performed more work scope during this outage than in our previous three, and with the support of an excellent schedule and coordination, were able to complete the outage with remarkable safety, quality and efficiency," said Bill Cottle, STP Nuclear Operating Company president and chief executive officer. "With the return of Unit 1 to service, our focus and emphasis continues to be directed to the safe, reliable operation of the South Texas Project."

The last four refueling outages at STP since 1994 have been models of efficiency and safety, with an average duration of 22.1 days. The median refueling outage length in 1996 among U.S. nuclear energy plants was 49 days, according to NEI.

The 2,500-megawatt STP plant is located 12 miles southwest of Bay City, Texas.