New Brunswick’s Point Lepreau nuclear power plant down until mid-November

CITYnews halifax / By The Canadian Press

SAINT JOHN, N.B. — New Brunswick’s electrical utility says its sole nuclear generating station will remain shut down until at least mid-November.

The station at Point Lepreau, N.B., has been off-line since April 6, while NB Power carried out a planned 100-day maintenance outage.

In a news release Thursday, the utility said that during startup a “critical issue” related to the 660-megawatt power plant’s main generator was identified and needs to be addressed before the station can return to service.

NB Power has not specified what the problem is, saying only that the “full extent of this issue is still being investigated and we are working toward resolving it.”

Dominique Couture, a spokeswoman for the utility, said in an email Friday that teams at the plant were conducting a detailed forensic analysis on the generator to determine the cause of the problem.

“We are testing the generator stator bars to better understand the nature of the issue and its impact on their condition,” said Couture. Stator bars are part of the rotary system in electric generators.

“There is no risk to the safety of our employees, the public or the environment, and we are conducting this work following rigorous safety protocols,” she said.

The utility said the outage won’t affect the supply of power to its customers, with electricity being provided from its other generating stations and utilities in neighbouring areas.

Generating stations at Coleson Cove, N.B., and Bayside, N.B., are fully operational, while the station at Belledune, N.B., is off-line for planned maintenance to ensure its reliability during colder months, Couture said.

“Final outage costs will not be determined until the station is back online and are affected by variations in replacement power costs,” she said.

NB Power has cautioned that while new developments can affect its schedule, it is working “toward a goal” of restoring the nuclear plant’s operations by mid-November.

The Point Lepreau facility is the only nuclear power plant in Atlantic Canada.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 16, 2024.

The Canadian Press