尽管大约有2,000craft laborersfrom the Plant Vogtle site in response to the coronavirus pandemic, Georgia Power believes that jobsite productivity will remain high enough for the utility to meet the scheduled in-service dates of November 2021 and November 2022 for the two new nuclear units being built near Waynesboro, Ga.
However, “The next few months will be pivotal as we adjust to a smaller, more streamlined workforce and seek to improve productivity,” said Tom Fanning, CEO of Southern Company, Georgia Power’s parent, during a Q1 earnings call held April 30. He added, “The safety of our workforce and the surrounding community remains paramount, and will continue to guide our decision-making at the site.”
总的来说，4月的劳动力减少将项目工人的数量从估计的9,000估计减少到大约7,000。
On May 4, Georgia Power reported that of the 696 Vogtle project workers tested for COVID-19 to date, there have been 185 positive cases. Of the 185 positive cases, 119 individuals had recovered, with the remaining 66 cases still active.
According to the utility, the project is utilizing worker distancing strategies such as adjusted break schedules and the suspension of large group meetings, along with providing an onsite medical clinic.
However, in a May 5 appearance before the Georgia Public Service Commission, Stephen Kuczynski, chairman, president and CEO of Southern Nuclear, noted that social distancing is not always possible.
In those situations, “We provide other mitigating factors such as masks and additional cleaning,” Kuczynski said. “But the most important thing we do is if any of our workforce does not feel well, they go to our medical facility, and we send them home.”
Schedule Confidence
Though November 2021 and November 2022 are the approved in-service dates for Units 3 and 4, respectively, the project team has been working under an “aggressive site work plan” to complete the two new nuclear units earlier than that. Under the current version of this aggressive plan, the project team expects to complete Unit 3 by May 2021 and Unit 4 by March 2022.
Georgia Power estimates that Unit 3’s construction is approximately 90% complete, while the overall project’s construction is about 80% complete.
During the April 30 earnings call, Fanning noted that construction at the Vogtle site during April “was challenged due to COVID-19 impacts, which put us slightly behind the aggressive site work plan.”
Most notably, Fanning continued, mechanical and electrical subcontracting activities related to Unit 3 “began to build a backlog,” due in part to an increase in workforce absenteeism.
Following the 20% cut in the project’s workforce, “We expect to see a decrease in near-term production,” Fanning said, adding that “the longer-term objective is to gain operational efficiency and productivity.”
尽管联合19诱导的工作场所对“积极进取”的时间表产生了影响，但公用事业官员还是有信心Vogtle的新核电单位会准时上网。
In a response to questions about the utility’s confidence in the schedule during the May 5 appearance before the Georgia PSC—conducted via video call—executives detailed how the team’s recent productivity rate has put the project in good position to meet the latest target.
佐治亚州核发展副总裁戴维·麦金尼（David McKinney）说：“我们认为这个时间表是现实的，而且可以实现。”“我们已经有了一个理解的工作计划。”
Importantly, the utility officials made the case that the productivity rate needed to complete the units in line with the latest schedule is significantly below what the project has achieved during the past year.
例如，库津斯基补充说，项目团队先前设定了每月完成约2％的施工目标。他说：“从本质上讲，我们平均能够在2019年整个2019年产生它。”
Kuczynski补充说，由于这一进展，该项目团队已经重新评估了满足当前时间表所需的每月费率，并且最近将该每月完成数字降低到仅1％。
“In our view,” he says, that rate “is clearly achievable based on our history that shows that we have done that consistently.”
