Equipment Failure Halts N.B. Power Plant Production Restart
The Point Lepreau nuclear generating station in New Brunswick faced a setback in its return to service. An equipment failure has delayed its reconnection to the electrical grid, originally expected earlier this week. This outage comes as winter temperatures are anticipated to dip significantly across the region.
Details of the Equipment Failure
N.B. Power reported that the failure occurred during an early stage of startup. A specific issue with a bearing prompted the need for replacement. Elizabeth Fraser, a spokesperson for N.B. Power, emphasized the complexity of the startup phase.
Impact of the Maintenance Outage
- The maintenance outage began in mid-July and was projected to last 140 days.
- Lepreau’s delayed restart comes as New Brunswick approaches peak heating season.
- Replacing Lepreau’s output with alternative energy sources costs between $1 million and $4 million daily.
The utility has been compensating for the lost generation by utilizing its Coleson Cove generating station in Saint John, which has resorted to burning oil to meet energy demands. This strategy helps cover the gap caused by Lepreau’s ongoing maintenance problems.
Financial Consequences
As temperatures are expected to fall below freezing, the financial implications of Lepreau’s delayed restart may be substantial. Environment and Climate Change Canada has issued forecasts indicating that colder weather could exacerbate energy demands, leading to increased operational costs.
Performance and Reliability Issues
The Lepreau facility has a history of reliability concerns. Since its refurbishment in 2012, the plant has faced over 1,240 days of downtime for maintenance, surpassing initial projections by 790 days. Duncan Hawthorne, a former nuclear executive involved in reviewing the future of N.B. Power, has criticized the facility as “the poorest-performing nuclear plant in North America.”
Future of Point Lepreau
N.B. Power is committed to improving the plant’s reliability. Fraser noted that despite the current challenges, the maintenance program successfully completed 23,000 tasks. However, no specific timeline has been provided for when Lepreau will return to service, with Fraser indicating it may happen “later in December.”
