The Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission (CNSC) has announced that New Brunswick Power has completed all required fire protection upgrades to the Point Lepreau nuclear plant.
When it renewed the plant's operating licence in February 2012, CNSC established a 'regulatory hold point' to ensure the company would reach overall compliance with CSA N293-07 Fire protection for CANDU nuclear power plants before the end of 2014.
Facility upgrades, which cost over $95 million (CND), included the addition of two onsite fire trucks, construction of a storage facility and improvements to fire detection and suppression systems.
CNSC staff carried out compliance and verification activities and has now confirmed that NB Power has successfully completed the required improvements to its fire protection programme," commented Ramzi Jammal, CNSC executive vice-president and chief regulatory operations officer.
Point Lepreau is a 705 MWe pressurised heavy water reactor (PHWR), which began operation in February 1983. The reactor was closed for extensive refurbishment in April 2008 and restarted in November 2012. It is licensed to operate until end of June 2017.
