Crystal River 3, retired after its containment cracked during a 2009 steam generator replacement, is being decommissioned by ADP (NorthStar/Orano JV) under a fixed-price deal while Duke Energy keeps ownership and the trust fund. Reactor building demolition was due by end-August 2026, with site restoration in Q2 2027 and an NRC license termination plan under review.
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Current state
| Status | Site restoration |
| Country | United States |
| Location | Crystal River, Florida |
| Site | Crystal River Energy Complex |
| Units | Unit 3 |
| Unit count | 1 |
| Reactor types | PWR |
| Net capacity (MWe) | 860 |
| Owner / licensee | Duke Energy Florida (licensed operator: ADP CR3 LLC) |
| Decommissioning contractor | Accelerated Decommissioning Partners (NorthStar/Orano) |
| Strategy | Immediate dismantling |
| Final shutdown | 2013-02-20 |
| Decommissioning start | 2020-10-01 |
| Target completion | 2027 |
| Cost estimate | USD 540m (as of 2019) |
| Spent fuel | All fuel in the on-site ISFSI since January 2018. |
| Notable issue | Containment delamination during the 2009 steam generator replacement led to early retirement. |
Notes
Cost = fixed-price ADP contract ($540m) per WNA (page updated 2026-03); WNA also cites trust funds >$700m without date. NRC lists estimated closure 2037 (likely includes ISFSI); ADP targets site restoration Q2 2027 and final surveys Q3 2027.
Timeline
- 2009-09-26 — A refueling outage began during which containment damage was found after the steam generator replacement. (source)
- 2013-02-20 — The operating license period ended as Duke retired the unit. (source)
- 2018-01 — Fuel transfer to the ISFSI was completed. (source)
- 2020-10-01 — Duke transferred the license to Accelerated Decommissioning Partners. (source)
- 2025-10-15 — ADP submitted the license termination plan amendment request to the NRC. (source)
- 2026-05-12 — NRC held a public meeting on the LTP; ADP said reactor building demolition would finish by end-August 2026. (source)
The timeline is append-only: corrections are added as new entries. Stated targets appear in the current-state table, never as milestones.
Related sites
- Biblis Nuclear Power Plant (Units A and B) Active dismantling · Germany
- Brokdorf Nuclear Power Plant (KBR) Active dismantling · Germany
- Brunsbüttel Nuclear Power Plant (KKB) Active dismantling · Germany
- Chinshan Nuclear Power Plant Fuel removal · Taiwan
- Chooz A Active dismantling · France
- Doel Nuclear Power Plant (Units 1-3) Shut down · Belgium
- Dounreay (DFR and PFR fast reactors) Active dismantling · United Kingdom
- Dresden Unit 1 SAFSTOR · United States
See all 72 sites in the Nuclear Decommissioning Tracker →
Sources
- Crystal River Unit 3 Nuclear Generating Plant — U.S. NRC (primary), checked 2026-10-11
- ADP on track to complete major D&D work at Crystal River-3 this summer — ANS Nuclear Newswire, checked 2026-10-11
- Decommissioning Nuclear Facilities — World Nuclear Association, checked 2026-10-11
- Locations of Power Reactor Sites Undergoing Decommissioning — U.S. NRC (primary), checked 2026-10-11