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Safety enhancements and a power boost for Unit 8 by John Peevers |
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A long-term program to enhance safety margins
and improve output at Bruce Power hit a major milestone earlier
today when reactor power on Unit 8 was raised to 93 per cent.
Unit 8 is the last of the Bruce B Units to
get a boost in output following fuel-loading modifications that
allow operators to raise reactor power from 90 to 93 per cent.
The last time Unit 8 operated at 93 per cent was August, 1995.
The increase was made possible by the completion of a process
called core re-ordering which involves changing the direction in
which fuel is inserted into the core. The resulting 25 megawatt increase will provide enough electricity to power 25,000 homes or a city roughly the size of Owen Sound, ON.
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When Bruce Power assumed operational control of the
site in 2001, the Bruce B units were held at 90 per cent of their design
capability or 'nameplate rating'. This was to ensure that under some
postulated accident conditions involving a loss of coolant, appropriate
safety margins were maintained to ensure the safe shutdown of the unit.
Following a thorough review of core re-ordering, the Canadian Nuclear
Safety Commission approved the power increases. “We are always looking for ways to make our plants safer,” said Duncan Hawthorne, Bruce Power’s President and Chief Executive Officer. “This project has the dual benefit of enhancing safety and improving productivity which is a win-win for everyone.” |
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