File photo of the Vogtle construction site in June 2020. Courtesy Georgia Power. The Vogtle-4 nuclear power plant under construction in the US state of Georgia has been brought to initial energisation, meaning plant equipment is permanently powered.

Georgia Power said energisation is needed to perform all subsequent testing for the AP1000 Westinghouse plant, construction oof which began in November 2013. Construction of Vogtle-3, an identical unit, began in March 2013.

In April, hot functional testing began at Vogtle-3. Hot functional testing – which takes six to eight weeks – marks the last series of major tests for the new unit ahead of initial fuel load.

The two Vogtle AP1000 plants are the only two commercial reactor units under construction in the US. The project is about 94% complete for Unit 3 with the total Vogtle-3 and -4 project approximately 88% complete.

Southern Company, of which Georgia Power is a subsidiary, said last year that the cost of the Vogtle station was growing, partly because of the Covid-19 outbreak and the rising number of workers diagnosed with the virus.