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 percent was August, 1995
– By April Murelio –
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 percent.
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.
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.”
Power was raised on Unit 6 in April of 2004, on Unit 7 in May 2007 and on Unit 5 in January, 2008. Core re-ordering on the Bruce A Units was completed several years ago.
Bruce Power is a partnership among Cameco Corporation, TransCanada Corporation, BPC Generation Infrastructure Trust, a trust established by the Ontario Municipal Employees Retirement System, the Power Workers’ Union and The Society of Energy Professionals.