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Chalk River, ON, February 4, 2008 – Connection and commissioning of the seismically qualified Emergency Power System (EPS) DC motor starter for pump #104 has been completed on Atomic Energy of Canada Limited’s NRU reactor. Work was completed during a regularly scheduled maintenance outage from January 27 through February 1. NRU resumed operation on Saturday, February 2 at 12:40 a.m.
The connection of the seismically qualified DC motor starter to pump #104 completes the work authorized under Bill C-38. When the legislation was passed on December 12, 2007, EPS was in the process of being connected to pump #105. The work on pump #105 was completed safely on December 14, and the reactor was restarted on December 16. AECL kept the federal government, the CNSC and local community stakeholders informed of its progress throughout the process of completing the work.
“All of us at AECL are committed to the safe and reliable operation of the NRU reactor,” says AECL’s Senior Vice-President and Chief Nuclear Officer Brian McGee. “We are proud of NRU’s 50 year track record for safe and reliable operation and confident that with the completion of this work, NRU is safer now than it has ever been. I want to thank the employees who worked so diligently and professionally to safely complete the procurement of parts, connection of equipment and commissioning of the EPS.”
About NRU
The NRU reactor is a 135 MW thermal research reactor that entered service in 1957. The fuel in the reactor is cooled by eight pumps that are powered from the electrical grid. In addition, four of the pumps have an independent backup power supply from diesel generators on site. These pumps also have (DC) motor backups powered by battery.
The Emergency Power System, or EPS, is an additional power system that is qualified to withstand severe seismic activity. EPS is designed to provide additional backup power to two of the coolant pumps, pumps 104 and 105. Either one of these two pumps provides sufficient cooling flow when the reactor is shut down.
About AECL
Atomic Energy of Canada Limited is a full service nuclear technology company providing services to nuclear utilities around the world. Established in 1952, AECL is the designer and builder of CANDU technology including the CANDU 6, one of the world’s top-performing reactors. AECL’s 4,800 employees deliver cutting edge nuclear services, R&D support, design, and engineering, construction management, specialized technology, refurbishment, waste management and decommissioning in support of CANDU reactor products. More information on AECL and CANDU technology can be found at www.aecl.ca.
For more information contact
Dale Coffin
Director, Corporate Communications
AECL (Atomic Energy of Canada Ltd)
T: 905.403.7457