COVERT TOWNSHIP, Mich. (WOOD) — During a tour Wednesday, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission showed News 8 where work stands to reopen the Palisades nuclear plant in Covert Township, including a steam generator which still needs tests and repairs.

The Palisades plant has been closed since May of 2022. The owner, Holtec, hopes to have it back up and running sometime next year. The reopening of Palisades would mark the first restart of a closed nuclear reactor in U.S. history.

News 8 got a look inside with the NRC, which will make that decision. Most areas were restricted.

Nuclear experts share safety plans for Palisades restart

While the plant is not in operation, there was a lot going on inside Wednesday afternoon. More than 1,000 Holtec and specialty workers and contractors are trying to get Palisades power plant back online.

“Right now, a lot of maintenance activities are going on that are inspecting the property,” said April Nguyen, lead of the NRC’s Palisades restart team.

In March, the federal government announced a $1.5 billion conditional commitment to support the reopening of Palisades. The plant, owned by Holtec, has been closed for more than two years. Before that, it had operated for 50 years.

“A lot of the equipment you see here is original design on the outside,” said Nguyen.

She oversees the two NRC inspectors who are at Palisades daily.

“So these are the pumps that take water from the lake,” explained Nguyen, showing News 8’s crew the main feed water pumps.

“In this case, they put it over the system that makes the steam, and this helps circulate that water so you have a continuous water flow going,” she said.

While some of the equipment looks old, Nguyen said on the inside, it’s a different story.

“But just like maintenance on your car, a lot of the components inside have been replaced, improved over time,” she said.

After Palisades shutdown, what’s next?

There was a lot going on near the turbine generator, which produces electricity. Crews are working on piping, doing maintenance on the valves and the equipment, as well as electrical work.

Inside the main control room simulator, Nguyen said it’s exactly the same model that’s in the operating plant.

“They can practice their procedures, working together as a team,” Nguyen said.

She said all operators must have a license from NRC. Training takes 1.5 to two years. Right now, there are 26 operators.

“They have a personal responsibility to operate the plant safely. This includes maneuvering the plant, raising power, lowering power and responding to any events that may happen,” Nguyen said.

While Holtec hopes to reopen by sometime next fall, there’s still a lot that needs to be done.

Palisades needs tests, repairs on steam generator, report says

“There’s a number of other inspection activity that still need to be done on other systems in the plant to make sure they are maintained, repaired, replaced, tested appropriately before they would make those go into operation,” said Nguyen.

If things aren’t up to speed, Palisades will stay closed.

“The plant will not restart until the NRC says it’s safe to do so, however long that takes,” Nguyen said.

The plant’s steam generator will need more inspections and testing and repairs, according to a report from the NRC.

“As part of our report we put out for this activity we did indicate that were a larger number of indications that were found than were anticipated the cause of that issue is still trying to be identified right now,” said Nguyen.

“Anything that goes out into the lake is monitored,” Nguyen added. “There are radiation monitors that look into anything that goes out into the air surrounding the plant. They are continually looking at the maintenance of those monitors, that equipment, to make sure it will operate functional.”

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