Callaway nuclear plant back on line

Refueling and maintenance activities at Callaway Energy Center are complete, and the 1,190-megawatt nuclear plant is back in service, according to Ameren Missouri officials.

This was the 21st planned refueling and maintenance outage for Callaway, officials said in a press release.

To help accomplish the wide range of tasks, more than 1,000 supplemental workers joined Callaway's regular workforce of about 800 employees providing a powerful boost to the area's economy.

"Our refueling outages are successful because of the dedication and teamwork of Ameren's co-workers and our supplemental staff. Their ongoing efforts ensure that equipment integrity is maintained and that Callaway will continue to be a reliable source of energy for our state," said Barry Cox, senior director of nuclear operations.

During the refueling period, which began April 2, thousands of periodic maintenance activities, inspections and tests were performed to maintain and monitor the integrity of plant.

The refueling activities, which occur every 18 months, replaced 92 of the 193 fuel assemblies in the reactor core. Each fuel assembly is an 8 -inch square bundle of 12-foot long metal tubes containing ceramic pellets of uranium dioxide fuel.

Ameren Missouri has been providing electric and gas service for more than 100 years, and the company's electric rates are among the lowest in the nation. Ameren Missouri's mission is to power the quality of life for its 1.2 million electric and 127,000 natural gas customers in central and eastern Missouri. The company's service area covers 64 counties and more than 500 communities, including the greater St. Louis area. For more information, please visit AmerenMissouri.com or follow Ameren Missouri on Facebook or Twitter.