News Release — April 4, 2008
UNISTAR PLANS UNDERWATER DRILLING PROJECT
NEAR NINE MILE POINT NUCLEAR STATION
Company will evaluate lake bed for potential third reactor cooling water intake tunnels
BALTIMORE, April 4, 2008 – UniStar Nuclear Energy (UNE) will evaluate underwater rock samples adjacent to Nine Mile Point Nuclear Station as part of a detailed review for a potential third reactor at the site. The power plant is five miles northeast of Oswego, N.Y. on the shore of Lake Ontario.
From April 7 to June 30, UNE plans to drill approximately 50 holes into the lake bed to analyze subsurface materials for the possible construction of new cooling water intake tunnels. The holes will be about 160 feet deep.
”All state and federal requirements will be followed during the performance of this work,” said Stephen Geier, UNE project manager.
UNE is a strategic joint venture between Constellation Energy (NYSE: CEG), which owns Nine Mile Point Nuclear Station, and EDF Group, Europe’s largest electric energy producer. UNE has proposed building at least four standardized 1,600 megawatt U.S. Evolutionary Power Reactors (U.S. EPR), an advanced reactor design known for its robust safety features. Two EPRs are under construction in Europe and the reactor design was sanctioned by two different nuclear regulatory commissions. China also plans to build two EPRs.
AREVA, designer of the U.S. EPR and the leading nuclear vendor, is the prime contractor for the lake boring project. GEI Consultants, of Woburn, Mass., is the geologic subcontractor and the drilling companies are Boart Longyear of Schofield, Wis. and Nothnagle Drilling of Scottsville, N.Y.
The drilling work will be conducted from two 50-foot by 90-foot barges, provided by BIDCO Marine Group of Grand Island, N.Y. Weather permitting, the first barge is scheduled to be towed to the drilling site and positioned at predetermined locations by high-accuracy GPS methods the week of April 7. The second barge is scheduled to arrive the week of April 14.
Rock samples will be sent to a laboratory for analysis, and their properties will be described in the combined license (COL) application UNE plans to submit later this year to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) for permission to construct and operate a third reactor at Nine Mile Point.
In March, UNE submitted the remainder of its COL application to the NRC for a potential U.S. EPR at Calvert Cliffs Nuclear Power Plant in Lusby, Md.
About UNE
UniStar Nuclear Energy, a strategic joint venture between Constellation Energy (NYSE: CEG) and EDF, is powering the nuclear renaissance in North America through industry leadership, disciplined business practices and effective risk-management. Based in Baltimore, Md., UniStar Nuclear Energy provides the licensing, construction and operating services needed to support the expansion of clean, safe and sustainable nuclear energy in the United States.
About Constellation Energy
Constellation Energy (www.constellation.com), a FORTUNE 125 company with 2007 revenues of $21 billion, is the nation’s largest competitive supplier of electricity to large commercial and industrial customers and the nation’s largest wholesale power seller. Constellation Energy also manages fuels and energy services on behalf of energy intensive industries and utilities. It owns a diversified fleet of 78 generating units located throughout the United States, totaling approximately 8,700 megawatts of generating capacity. The company delivers electricity and natural gas through the Baltimore Gas and Electric Company (BGE), its regulated utility in Central Maryland.
About EDF Group
An energy market leader in Europe, the EDF Group is an integrated energy company operating in all branches of the industry: generation, transmission, distribution, and the trading and sale of energy. The top electricity producer in Europe, the Group has predominantly nuclear and hydroelectric power plants in France, supplying electricity that is 95 percent CO2-free. Its transmission and distribution subsidiaries operate 1,246,000 km of medium and low voltage overhead and underground electricity lines and around 100,000 km of high and very high voltage networks. The Group is involved in the supply of energy and services to over 38 million customers worldwide with more than 28 million of them in France. The Group’s consolidated sales stood at €58.9 Billion in 2006 of which 42 percent was in Europe excluding France. EDF, which is listed on the Paris Bourse, is a member of the CAC 40 index.
About AREVA
As the leading U.S. nuclear vendor and a key player in the electricity transmission and distribution sector, AREVA Inc.’s 5,000 U.S. energy employees are committed to serving the nation and paving the way for the future of the electricity market. With 40 locations across the nation and nearly $2 billion in energy revenues in 2006, AREVA Inc., through its subsidiaries, combines U.S. leadership, access to worldwide expertise and a proven track record of performance. In the U.S. and in more than 100 countries around the world, AREVA is engaged in the 21st century’s greatest challenges: making energy available to all, protecting the planet, and acting responsibly toward future generations. AREVA Inc. is headquartered in Bethesda, Maryland.
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