On eBay Now...St. Lucie Nuclear Power Plant Intake Gate Pin | Industrial Salvage Artifact For Sale
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St. Lucie Nuclear Power Plant Intake Gate Pin | Industrial Salvage Artifact:
$860.00
Authentic Intake Gate pin removed from the St. Lucie Nuclear Power Plant on Hutchinson Island, Florida.
This component was part of the plant’s intake gate system and was removed during maintenance operations after long-term exposure to ocean water and intake flow conditions. The pin shows extensive wear and pitting from nearly 20years of service before removal. It's been almost 20 years since it was removed. I work with the underwater welders and other repair crews for this nuclear plant. I acquired this directly from the crews after it was torch cut underwater for removal and replaced with a new one.
The heavy steel pin securely rests on a custom polished stainless-steel display stand made by Colonial Metalworks, with engraved brass identification plate reading.
“St Lucie Nuclear Power Plant – Intake Gate Pin”
Approximate dimensions:
- Pin length: 24 in.
- Diameter: 3.5 in.
- Base length: 26 in.
- Overall display height: approx. 5.5 in.
- Weighs 66lbs!
Materials:
- Steel
- Stainless steel stand
- Brass nameplate
Local pickup available - Fort Pierce, FLADDITIONAL INFORMATION ABOUT THIS UNIQUE ITEM:
The St. Lucie Nuclear Power Plant, located on Hutchinson Island near Fort Pierce, FL, draws hundreds of thousands of gallons of ocean water per minute through three massive, quarter-mile-long submerged intake pipes. These structures sit on the ocean floor and are capped to prevent larger marine life and debris from being pulled into the plant.Three large intake pipes sit on the ocean floor roughly a quarter-mile offshore in the Atlantic Ocean. The pipes draw approximately 500,000 gallons of seawater per minute to cool the plant's nuclear-fueled generators.
The ends of the intake pipes are covered to prevent large objects from entering. Inside the plant's intake canal, barrier nets are utilized to capture and protect wildlife such as endangered sea turtles.
The intake structures are marked by warning buoys requiring boaters to stay back. Because of the intense underwater currents, the intake vents have occasionally posed severe risks to divers:
The 2016 Diver Incident: A scuba diver exploring the area was caught in the current and pulled into one of the intake structures. He was swept through a 16-foot wide, quarter-mile-long pipe, surviving the 5-minute ride into a reservoir pool on plant property.
Featured in a viral Instagram post in 2024 documenting the artifact, with over 377,000 views!
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