Columbia Generating Station
Encyclopedia
The Columbia Generating Station, is a nuclear power station located on the United States Department of Energy
Hanford Site
, 12 miles (20 km) NW of Richland, Washington
. Its site covers 1,089 acres (4.4 km²) of Benton County, Washington
.
This plant is owned and operated by Energy Northwest
, a consortium of Pacific Northwest public utilities. Energy Northwest's original name was the Washington Public Power Supply System (WPPSS). Construction began in late 1975, and the NRC issued an operational license for the plant to begin producing power in March, 1984.
In 2000, WPPSS changed its name to Energy Northwest, and later the plant's name was changed from WNP-2 (Washington Nuclear Power unit number 2) to Columbia Generating Station. Of the five commercial reactors originally planned by WPPSS for the State of Washington, this reactor was the only one completed (WNP-1
may yet be completed but WNP-4
, WNP-3 and WNP-5
were abandoned).
The reactor provides Washington with approximately 4% of the state's electrical generation capacity. With the 1992 retirement of Oregon
's Trojan Nuclear Power Plant
, it is the only commercial nuclear power reactor remaining in the Pacific Northwest. The nearest operating reactor is the Diablo Canyon Power Plant
located on the Southern California beach in San Luis Obispo County, California. The plant's sole reactor is a General Electric Type 5
, a newer version of the type of reactor used at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant. The plant had a new Westinghouse Electric
turbine-generator installed in 1999, which brought its output rating to 1,150 MWe
.
The Columbia Generating Station features six low-profile fan-driven cooling towers. Each tower cascades warmed water, a byproduct of water heat exchanging with steam after leaving a turbine, down itself and subsequently cools the warmed water via a combination of evaporation and heat exchange with the surrounding air. Some water droplets fall back to earth in the process, thereby creating a hoar frost in the winter. At times, the vapor cloud from the cooling towers can reach 10,000 feet (3 km) in height and can be seen at a great distance. Replacement water for the evaporated water is drawn from the nearby Columbia River
.
defines two emergency planning zones around nuclear power plants: a plume exposure pathway zone with a radius of 10 miles (16.1 km), concerned primarily with exposure to, and inhalation of, airborne radioactive contamination, and an ingestion pathway zone of about 50 miles (80.5 km), concerned primarily with ingestion of food and liquid contaminated by radioactivity.
The 2010 U.S. population within 10 miles (16.1 km) of Columbia was 10,055, an increase of 10.4 percent in a decade, according to an analysis of U.S. Census data for msnbc.com. The 2010 U.S. population within 50 miles (80.5 km) was 445,416, an increase of 23.4 percent since 2000. Cities within 50 miles include Richland (12 miles to city center) and Pasco (18 miles to city center).
United States Department of Energy
The United States Department of Energy is a Cabinet-level department of the United States government concerned with the United States' policies regarding energy and safety in handling nuclear material...
Hanford Site
Hanford Site
The Hanford Site is a mostly decommissioned nuclear production complex on the Columbia River in the U.S. state of Washington, operated by the United States federal government. The site has been known by many names, including Hanford Works, Hanford Engineer Works or HEW, Hanford Nuclear Reservation...
, 12 miles (20 km) NW of Richland, Washington
Richland, Washington
Richland is a city in Benton County in the southeastern part of the U.S. state of Washington, at the confluence of the Yakima and the Columbia Rivers. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 48,058. April 1, 2011 estimates from the Washington State Office of Financial Management put the...
. Its site covers 1,089 acres (4.4 km²) of Benton County, Washington
Benton County, Washington
Benton County is a county located in the south-central portion of the U.S. state of Washington. The Columbia River makes up the north, south, and east boundaries of the county. In 2010, its population was 175,177. The county seat is Prosser, and its largest city is Kennewick...
.
This plant is owned and operated by Energy Northwest
Energy Northwest
Energy Northwest is a United States public power joint operating agency formed by State law in 1957 to produce at-cost power for Northwest utilities. Headquartered in Richland, Washington, the WPPSS became commonly knowns as "Whoops"before being renamed Energy Northwest in November 1998...
, a consortium of Pacific Northwest public utilities. Energy Northwest's original name was the Washington Public Power Supply System (WPPSS). Construction began in late 1975, and the NRC issued an operational license for the plant to begin producing power in March, 1984.
In 2000, WPPSS changed its name to Energy Northwest, and later the plant's name was changed from WNP-2 (Washington Nuclear Power unit number 2) to Columbia Generating Station. Of the five commercial reactors originally planned by WPPSS for the State of Washington, this reactor was the only one completed (WNP-1
WNP-1 and WNP-4
WNP-1 and WNP-4 were, along with the Columbia Generating Station and WNP-3 and WNP-5, two of the five nuclear power plants on which construction was started by Energy Northwest in the 1970s. In the end, WNP-1 was mothballed when 63% constructed, WNP-3, -4 and -5 abandoned, and only the Columbia...
may yet be completed but WNP-4
WNP-1 and WNP-4
WNP-1 and WNP-4 were, along with the Columbia Generating Station and WNP-3 and WNP-5, two of the five nuclear power plants on which construction was started by Energy Northwest in the 1970s. In the end, WNP-1 was mothballed when 63% constructed, WNP-3, -4 and -5 abandoned, and only the Columbia...
, WNP-3 and WNP-5
WNP-3 and WNP-5
WNP-3 and WNP-5 were, along with the WNP-2 and WNP-1 and WNP-4, two of the five nuclear power plants on which construction was started by the Washington Public Power Supply System in 1977...
were abandoned).
The reactor provides Washington with approximately 4% of the state's electrical generation capacity. With the 1992 retirement of Oregon
Oregon
Oregon is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is located on the Pacific coast, with Washington to the north, California to the south, Nevada on the southeast and Idaho to the east. The Columbia and Snake rivers delineate much of Oregon's northern and eastern...
's Trojan Nuclear Power Plant
Trojan Nuclear Power Plant
Trojan Nuclear Power Plant was a pressurized water reactor nuclear power plant located southeast of Rainier, Oregon, United States, and the only commercial nuclear power plant to be built in Oregon. After sixteen years of service it was closed by its operator, Portland General Electric , almost...
, it is the only commercial nuclear power reactor remaining in the Pacific Northwest. The nearest operating reactor is the Diablo Canyon Power Plant
Diablo Canyon Power Plant
Diablo Canyon Power Plant is an electricity-generating nuclear power plant at Avila Beach in San Luis Obispo County, California. The plant has two Westinghouse-designed 4-loop pressurized-water nuclear reactors operated by Pacific Gas & Electric. The facility is located on about in Avila Beach,...
located on the Southern California beach in San Luis Obispo County, California. The plant's sole reactor is a General Electric Type 5
Boiling water reactor
The boiling water reactor is a type of light water nuclear reactor used for the generation of electrical power. It is the second most common type of electricity-generating nuclear reactor after the pressurized water reactor , also a type of light water nuclear reactor...
, a newer version of the type of reactor used at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant. The plant had a new Westinghouse Electric
Westinghouse Electric (1998)
Westinghouse Licensing, doing business as Westinghouse Electric Corporation , is a Delaware General Corporation Law organized subsidiary that was founded by CBS Corporation in managing the intellectual property assets relating to the Westinghouse trademarks.Westinghouse Licensing has...
turbine-generator installed in 1999, which brought its output rating to 1,150 MWe
MWE
MWE may refer to:*Manufacturer's Weight Empty*McDermott Will & Emery*Midwest Express, an airline*Merowe Airport - IATA code*Multiword expressionMWe may refer to:*Megawatt electrical...
.
The Columbia Generating Station features six low-profile fan-driven cooling towers. Each tower cascades warmed water, a byproduct of water heat exchanging with steam after leaving a turbine, down itself and subsequently cools the warmed water via a combination of evaporation and heat exchange with the surrounding air. Some water droplets fall back to earth in the process, thereby creating a hoar frost in the winter. At times, the vapor cloud from the cooling towers can reach 10,000 feet (3 km) in height and can be seen at a great distance. Replacement water for the evaporated water is drawn from the nearby Columbia River
Columbia River
The Columbia River is the largest river in the Pacific Northwest region of North America. The river rises in the Rocky Mountains of British Columbia, Canada, flows northwest and then south into the U.S. state of Washington, then turns west to form most of the border between Washington and the state...
.
Surrounding population
The Nuclear Regulatory CommissionNuclear Regulatory Commission
The Nuclear Regulatory Commission is an independent agency of the United States government that was established by the Energy Reorganization Act of 1974 from the United States Atomic Energy Commission, and was first opened January 19, 1975...
defines two emergency planning zones around nuclear power plants: a plume exposure pathway zone with a radius of 10 miles (16.1 km), concerned primarily with exposure to, and inhalation of, airborne radioactive contamination, and an ingestion pathway zone of about 50 miles (80.5 km), concerned primarily with ingestion of food and liquid contaminated by radioactivity.
The 2010 U.S. population within 10 miles (16.1 km) of Columbia was 10,055, an increase of 10.4 percent in a decade, according to an analysis of U.S. Census data for msnbc.com. The 2010 U.S. population within 50 miles (80.5 km) was 445,416, an increase of 23.4 percent since 2000. Cities within 50 miles include Richland (12 miles to city center) and Pasco (18 miles to city center).