“Fukushima is a boiling water reactor and in South Carolina we have pressure water reactors,” says Byrne.
In the invent of a reactor leak, he says the pressure system reduces the risk of a meltdown or releasing radioactive steam into the environment.
By CLEVE BRYAN some video courtesy SCE&G
“This pressurizer which is something that boiling water reactors don't have, just maintains the pressure in the reacting cooling system,” Byrne explained during an animation of a breach scenario.
Even though the summer site has strategically- placed backup generators, the next reactors set to open in 2016 and 2019 don't rely on electricity to pump the large amounts of water necessary to prevent a meltdown.
“So it will flow by gravity from here, down into the vessel,” says Byrne.
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