The refurbishment of the Point Lepreau nuclear generating station is 75 per cent complete, but it remains unknown when the reactor will be back online.
Atomic Energy of Canada Ltd., the general contractor of the plant's overhaul, pinned the latest delay on the installation of the new calandria tubes in the reactor.
"We've replaced the reactor's 380 tubes, but crews are having trouble with the seal tightness at each end of the tubes," spokesman Dale Coffin said Thursday.
AECL has conducted various tests in order to create hermetic seals around the 760 joints, which must meet the rigorous standards of the nuclear industry, he said.
"We're running tests in our labs here in Mississauga and some of the results are pretty good," he said.
"Now we have to go back and try them on the reactor to see if the seal joints meet the top standards."
The calandria tube is located in the heart of the reactor. It holds a pressure tube, which in turn holds the fuel bundle, or the natural uranium, used to power the nuclear plant. It's essential the seals around the calandria tubes are airtight to ensure the highest level of safety.
Until the glitch with the seals is worked out, AECL won't be in a position to give NB Power a timeline on when it will be done its phase of the refit, Coffin said.
The most recent timeline for handing Lepreau back to NB Power was October 2011, but that date was scrapped in the spring when it became apparent the schedule was unattainable.
Once AECL completes its portion of the work, it will be another four to five months before NB Power can turn on the switch.
"We'll need to do the commissioning activities and testing of all the equipment to make sure it meets all the criteria," NB Power spokeswoman Kathleen Duguay said.
"That will take us four to five months, but it's difficult for us to plan for right now because we're operating without a schedule.
"We're waiting for AECL to tell us what their strategy is to handle the problems with the calandria tubes.
"Until they determine a path forward that is achievable we can't really prepare for the commissioning."
The refurbishment of Point Lepreau has been dealt a string of setbacks since it was taken offline in March 2008.
The replacement of the reactor components and other plant modifications were expected to take a total of 18 months.
More than two years later, the behind-schedule and over-budget refurbishment is a contentious issue for NB Power, the province and Ottawa.
The government of New Brunswick has stated that it won't foot the bill for delays caused by the federal Crown corporation, which oversees Canada's nuclear industry.
The original cost of the refurbishment, including replacement power, was $1.4 billion.
However, the ongoing delays at AECL's end have tacked on another $475 million in replacement power - costs that will eventually be passed on to ratepayers.
The Point Lepreau project is the first retrofit of a Candu-6 reactor in the world.
AECL has acknowledged the learning curve involved in the Lepreau project has been substantial, causing many delays.
Although Team Candu, which includes AECL, had been in talks with the province about a possible second reactor, last week the French nuclear giant Areva agreed to study the feasibility of building a nuclear reactor at Lepreau.
The refurbishment of the Point Lepreau nuclear generating station is 75 per cent complete, but it remains unknown when the reactor will be back online.
Atomic Energy of Canada Ltd., the general contractor of the plant's overhaul, pinned the latest delay on the installation of the new calandria tubes in the reactor.
"We've replaced the reactor's 380 tubes, but crews are having trouble with the seal tightness at each end of the tubes," spokesman Dale Coffin said Thursday.
AECL has conducted various tests in order to create hermetic seals around the 760 joints, which must meet the rigorous standards of the nuclear industry, he said.
"We're running tests in our labs here in Mississauga and some of the results are pretty good," he said.
"Now we have to go back and try them on the reactor to see if the seal joints meet the top standards."
The calandria tube is located in the heart of the reactor. It holds a pressure tube, which in turn holds the fuel bundle, or the natural uranium, used to power the nuclear plant. It's essential the seals around the calandria tubes are airtight to ensure the highest level of safety.
Until the glitch with the seals is worked out, AECL won't be in a position to give NB Power a timeline on when it will be done its phase of the refit, Coffin said.
The most recent timeline for handing Lepreau back to NB Power was October 2011, but that date was scrapped in the spring when it became apparent the schedule was unattainable.
Once AECL completes its portion of the work, it will be another four to five months before NB Power can turn on the switch.
"We'll need to do the commissioning activities and testing of all the equipment to make sure it meets all the criteria," NB Power spokeswoman Kathleen Duguay said.
"That will take us four to five months, but it's difficult for us to plan for right now because we're operating without a schedule.
"We're waiting for AECL to tell us what their strategy is to handle the problems with the calandria tubes.
"Until they determine a path forward that is achievable we can't really prepare for the commissioning."
The refurbishment of Point Lepreau has been dealt a string of setbacks since it was taken offline in March 2008.
The replacement of the reactor components and other plant modifications were expected to take a total of 18 months.
More than two years later, the behind-schedule and over-budget refurbishment is a contentious issue for NB Power, the province and Ottawa.
The government of New Brunswick has stated that it won't foot the bill for delays caused by the federal Crown corporation, which oversees Canada's nuclear industry.
The original cost of the refurbishment, including replacement power, was $1.4 billion.
However, the ongoing delays at AECL's end have tacked on another $475 million in replacement power - costs that will eventually be passed on to ratepayers.
The Point Lepreau project is the first retrofit of a Candu-6 reactor in the world.
AECL has acknowledged the learning curve involved in the Lepreau project has been substantial, causing many delays.
Although Team Candu, which includes AECL, had been in talks with the province about a possible second reactor, last week the French nuclear giant Areva agreed to study the feasibility of building a nuclear reactor at Lepreau.
