Duke SC Catawba 1 reactor shut

NEW YORK, Nov 9 (Reuters) - Duke Energy Corp's (DUK.N) 1,129-megawatt Unit 1 at the Catawba nuclear power station in South Carolina shut by early Monday from 96 percent power early Friday, the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission said in a report.

Some electricity traders guessed the unit shut for a planned refueling outage expected to start in November. Other traders however noted they did not expect the unit to shut until late November.

The unit last shut for refueling from about May 5-June 23, 2008. It is on an 18 month refueling cycle.

The 2,258 MW Catawba station is located in Lake Wylie in York County about 20 miles southwest of Charlotte, North Carolina. There are two 1,129 MW Units 1 and 2 at the station, which entered service in 1985 and 1986.

The NRC renewed the units' original 40-year operating license in 2003 for another 20 years until 2043.

Unit 2 dipped to 99 percent by early Monday from full power early Friday.

One MW powers about 700 homes in the Carolinas.

Duke operates the Catawba station for its owners.

North Carolina Electric Membership Corp (61.5 percent) and Duke (38.5 percent) own Unit 1.