Summer Nuclear Plant Construction Progress Outlined in SCANA Earnings Announcement

SCANA's second quarter earnings call Thursday featured updates on the new reactor construction at the V.C. Summer nuclear plant, in addition to the company's take on the Chicago Bridge and Iron (CB&I) acquisition of project contractor the Shaw Group.

On the two Westinghouse AP1000 reactors under construction at the site, South Carolina Electric & Gas COO Steve Byrne noted:

-- Unit 2 is still scheduled to begin operating in March of 2017, with unit 3 following in May of 2018.

-- The heavy lift derrick crane is now assembled, tested and operational.

--  CB&I has completed the lower bowl of unit 2's containment vessel and is now welding the first ring section.

-- The switchyard is on schedule to be energized in the first half of next year.

-- Workers have installed about 75 percent of the unit 2 mud mat and 40 percent of the rebar cage. Rebar installation has raised issues at the new AP1000 reactors at Plant Vogtle, and Byrne assured analysts the Summer rebar conforms with design documents and should not cause any delays.

-- The company plans to set unit 2's lower containment bowl later this year.

-- On the CB&I-Shaw merger, Byrne said the company is aware that the CB&I management team would take over, and that it shouldn't have any implications for the project.