The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission said it would commence a special inspection of the Oconee nuclear power station on Tuesday to review concerns over startup transformer cables for the plant's Unit 1 and Unit 3 reactors due to problems that were discovered by a plant operator on Dec. 7.
NRC Region II administrator Leonard Wert said the inspection would also look into “generic issues that may apply to other plants.”
After a Duke technician discovered a disconnected cable at the Unit 3 startup transformer, it was discovered that cables connected to the Unit 1 startup transformer were in a degraded condition.
The cables have been replaced and/or connected, the NRC said. But the inspection is going forward to review the current conditions at the plant and to review Duke's response to the discoveries.
The power plant, 30 miles west of Greenville, near Seneca, S.C., includes three Babcock & Wilcox lowered loop pressurized water reactors, two of which went online in February and October of 1973, followed by Unit 3, which began operations in July 1974.
The NRC will issue findings within 45 days following the completion of the on-site review, which will conducted by the senior resident inspector at the Oconee plant and an inspector from the NRC office in Atlanta, which covers NRC Region II. In addition, an NRC inspector in Atlanta will review data collected at the plant.
Wert said there was no specific incident at the plant in which problems with the cables played a part. But problems could have escalated. The equipment plays "a very important role in some circumstances by providing electric power to plant safety equipment,” he said.
Duke spokesman Andrew Beckner said there was no disruption of service or safety concerns that arose due to the issue.