Monday 11 August 2014

EDF shuts nuclear plants after unexpected “defect”

EDF Energy has shut down two of its nuclear power stations in the UK for safety inspections because of a “defect” in one reactor at Heysham 1 plant.

Today the firm said it has taken the “conservative” decision for Heysham and its sister plant Hartlepool after a suspected defect in a boiler at Heysham 1 was found.

The two plants are similar in design.

In a statement EDF Energy said it has closed Heysham 1 Reactor 2 and Hartlepool Reactors 1 and 2 for the next few days to carry out further inspections “in order to satisfy itself and the Regulator that the reactors can be safely returned to service.”

[caption id="attachment_79315" align="alignright" width="350"] Hartlepool nuclear power station has a similar design to Heysham. Image: Thinkstock[/caption]

The firm said it won’t know when the four reactors can return to service until the inspections are done.

But it estimated the investigations would take around eight weeks.

Heysham 1 was shut down last year for a routine check-up, during which the “unexpected result” in one of eight boilers was uncovered.

EDF Energy's other UK plants are not affected, it said, because they are a different design.