Point Lepreau Nuclear Generating Station reconnects to the grid following successful planned maintenance outage

2020-11-05

Fredericton, N.B. – Point Lepreau Nuclear Generating Station (PLNGS) has reconnected to the New Brunswick grid today following the successful completion of its planned maintenance Outage 2020. The Station was taken offline overnight September 4, 2020 to perform scheduled maintenance following a 417 consecutive day online run, the longest continuous plant operation between outages since 1994.

The work completed in Outage 2020 included more than 15,000 technical maintenance activities on equipment and systems, on both the nuclear and conventional parts of the Station. With help from approximately 600 contractors and tradespeople, the large majority of whom are from Atlantic Canada, activities included routine maintenance, repairs, system modifications, inspections and testing that can only be conducted when the unit is offline.

The timing of planned maintenance Outage 2020, originally scheduled to begin April 10, was adjusted in response to the circumstances created by the COVID-19 pandemic. The Station implemented extensive COVID-19 mitigation protocols, processes and related infrastructure to ensure the continued mitigation of potential risks from the coronavirus. These measures followed the expert advice of federal and provincial health departments. 

Planned outages of this nature are key investments to ensure the long-term reliability of PLNGS to meet the energy needs of New Brunswickers.

About the Point Lepreau Nuclear Generating Station

The Point Lepreau Nuclear Generating Station is a 660 megawatt (net) nuclear generating station and a base load contributor to the New Brunswick electrical grid. It produces enough non-emitting electricity to power more than 333,000 homes per year and is a foundational piece of both our domestic energy supply and our export sales. Point Lepreau is a major component of the generating assets that contributes to the province having 80 per cent of the electricity used in New Brunswick coming from clean, renewable or non-emitting sources.

MEDIA CONTACT:  Marc Belliveau, Communications, (506) 238-3273. or mbelliveau@nbpower.com