nuclear-news

New Brunswick’s Point Lepreau nuclear plant ranked as poor performer among international peers

Consultant ranks Lepreau in ‘bottom quartile’ in multiple performance categories

Robert Jones · CBC News ·  Mar 20, 2024

Since 2014 the Point Lepreau nuclear generating station has been one of the poorest-performing reactors among dozens of similar facilities in five countries, a pair of unflinching reports commissioned by N.B. Power about the troubled plant suggest.

The U.S.-based energy consulting firm ScottMadden found N.B. Power spent less on upkeep at Lepreau since it completed a major refurbishment in 2012 than owners of more reliable reactors, and they provided evidence that Lepreau’s troubles may be connected to a failure to invest enough on maintenance.

The reports also suggest Lepreau’s performance may worsen in future years if amounts spent on keeping ahead of trouble are not increased significantly………………………………………………………..

Lepreau, originally commissioned in 1983, had a disappointing production record in its first 25 operational years that has continued over the last decade, despite a major overhaul of its reactor and nuclear components between 2008 and 2012.

In the 11 years from 2013 and 2023, Lepreau suffered 400 more days of downtime than originally projected, costing the utility up to $1 billion in lost production and repair costs that have been battering the utility’s finances…………………………………………………………………………. more https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/new-brunswick/nb-power-point-lepreau-poor-1.7148879

March 21, 2024 - Posted by Christina Macpherson | business and costs, Canada