The work of this monumental achievement was captured through beautiful photography throughout the entirety of the project, to both document and celebrate the extraordinary journey that was building Vogtle Units 3 & 4.
An Incredible Journey
See how Vogtle Units 3 & 4 were built ...
Spring 2024 | Vogtle Units 1–4
Finishing what we started
On April 29, 2024, Georgia Power’s Vogtle Electric Generating Plant became the largest generator of clean energy in the country when the first new nuclear reactors built in the United States in over three decades went into commercial operation.
2012 | Southern Company Executive Chairman Tom Fanning at the celebration of the issuance of Unit 3 & 4’s construction and operating licenses.
As an emission-free energy source, the new Vogtle units can generate enough electricity to power an estimated 1 million homes and businesses and helps avoid hundreds of millions of metric tons of carbon dioxide emissions.
“The completion of the expansion of the Vogtle nuclear generation plant to include Unit 3 and now Unit 4 is a hallmark achievement for Southern Company, the state of Georgia and the entire United States.” — Chris Womack Chairman, President and CEO, Southern Company
“It’s an exciting time to be a Georgian as our state continues to grow and thrive, with new demand for more clean energy each year. The new Vogtle units are a key piece of our strategy to meet the energy needs of our customers today, and for decades to come.” — Kim Greene, Chairman, President and CEO, Georgia Power
“I’m proud of the opportunity to work with such dream-driven, remarkable people.” — Lisa Hopper, Talent Management Business Partner, Human Resources
At the peak of the project, over 9,000 construction workers were on-site.
Over 7 million linear feet of cable, 1.3 million linear feet of conduit and 500,000 linear feet of pipe were laid over the entirety of the project.
2019 | Vogtle Unit 4 stargate assembly where main steam line will run through.
More than 16,000 tons of rebar was hand-tied in preparation for the nearly 100,000 cubic yards of concrete and 12,000 tons of structural steel. This was done to distribute the stresses from one piece of rebar to another, creating the strongest possible structure.
Spanning years, thousands of workers, and hundreds of millions of work hours, the Vogtle 3 & 4 nuclear expansion project is a testament to staying the course and making investments that provide long-term benefits for customers.
2019 | Georgia Governor Brian Kemp greets craft workers on site.
2011 | Aerial photograph of the Vogtle 3 & 4 construction site
Construction begins
March 2009 | Georgia Power received certification from the Georgia Public Service Commission to build new units at the site.
2016 | Vogtle Unit 3
Major modules were made in advance and delivered to the site by rail and truck where they were assembled into larger components.
2015 | Containment ring construction and fabrication area
2020 | Vogtle Unit 4 tension ring panel for Shield Building
The Unit 3 reactor vessel arrives on-site
2013 | Fabricated in South Korea, the 300-ton reactor vessel for Unit 3 was transported via container ship to the Port of Savannah, where it was then delivered to the site on a specialized rail car.
2018 | Unit 3 Containment and Shield Building components
2018 | Vogtle Unit 3 turbine diaphragm installation
“To see that hunk of dirt that was out here — that big hole in the ground become a full operating power plant, and to know that I’ve been a part of it? That has been the absolute best feeling.” — Toni Ward-Buxton, Southern Nuclear, Organizational Effectiveness Coordinator
Heavy lifting
After 8 months of assembly, the Heavy Lift Derrick, one of the largest cranes in the world, stood ready – able to rotate 360 degrees in order to serve both Units 3 and 4.
The main boom is 560 feet tall, it's rigged with 12 miles of steel cable, and it takes 5 people to operate it.
2019 | The roof of Unit 3’s Shield Building is lifted into place. Measuring 135 feet in diameter, the 37-foot-tall structure weighs more than two fully-loaded jumbo jets.
The CA20 is part of the auxiliary building, adjacent to the Containment vessel. This critical module houses various plant components, including the spent fuel storage area.
Being too large to transport, this module had to be built on site and lifted in-place.
It weighs more than 2.2 million pounds, and stands more than 5 stories tall.
2016 | The CA20 for Unit 4 getting ready to be lifted in-place.
2020 | Placement of the 720,000-pound large water tank, known as module CB20, for Vogtle Unit 3.
2020 | Vogtle Unit 4 Containment vessel top head placement.
2016 | Weighing more than 2 million pounds, the Vogtle Unit 4 CA01 module is placed inside the nuclear island.
2017 | Weighing 1.4 million pounds, the first steam generator is placed inside the Vogtle Unit 3 Containment vessel.
2017 | The Vogtle Unit 3 Containment vessel seen from above.
2023 | Vogtle Unit 4 receives its first shipment of nuclear fuel.
Starting up
Units 3 and 4 each requires 157 fuel assemblies to operate – each measuring 14 feet tall.
2020 | Nuclear fuel receipt.
Upon delivery to the site, each assembly was inspected and transferred to the new fuel storage racks before being placed into the spent fuel pool until they were ready to be loaded into the reactor during fuel load.
2022 | The last fuel assembly is loaded into the Unit 3 Reactor Vessel.
2023 | Vogtle Unit 4 Containment during fuel load activities.
Vogtle Units 3 & 4 Main Control Rooms are staffed 24/7 year-round and require approximately 70 highly trained nuclear operators.
364 inspections, tests, and analyses were preformed and passed before each unit was deemed safe to operate in conformity with the combined license, the provisions of the Atomic Energy Act of 1954, as amended (AEA), and the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission's rules and regulations.
2022 | Vogtle Unit 3 Reactor Cavity.
2022 | A bird's-eye view of Unit 3 Containment and both steam generators.
“For decades, Southern Nuclear has operated our nuclear fleet with the highest standards of safety and reliability. We’re proud of the way we brought these units online, and now we’re proud to operate this extraordinary facility 24/7/365 at the same levels of excellence for our co-owners and the communities we serve.” — Stephen Kuczynski, Chairman and CEO, Southern Nuclear
July 31, 2023
Unit 3 entered commercial operation
April 29, 2024
Unit 4 entered commercial operation
Clean Energy for a Growing Georgia