FREDERICTON – A problem with a key piece of machinery is forcing an unplanned shutdown of the Point Lepreau Nuclear Generating Station.
A fuel rod handling machine designed to move the rods in and out of the reactor as needed is malfunctioning.
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NB Power says there is no safety risk, but they will shut down the reactor Thursday night around 10 p.m. to fix the problem.
It’s expected to take two weeks, and after the reactor is repaired, returning the reactor to 100 per cent will take a few days.
In the meantime, the power utility is going to have to purchase replacement power from other utilities.
NB Power doesn’t have an estimate of the cost, but the reactor has been operating at 99 per cent for the past 260 days.
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