Oyster Creek Nuclear Plant Back To Full Power, Exelon Says

The Oyster Creek Nuclear Generating Station went back on full power late Monday afternoon, after plant operators successfully repaired a malfunctioning turbine system, an Exelon spokesperson said.

The plant went back online at 5:56 p.m. on Monday, plant spokesperson Suzanne D'Ambrosio said.

The action followed a planned maintenance outage that began on Tuesday, Dec. 13. Operators reconnected to the power grid on Dec. 19 after successfully repairing a system that monitors turbine conditions, including temperature, pressure and speed.

The Oyster Creek shutdown did not have an impact on electrical service.

Operators at the Oyster Creek Nuclear Generating Station took the troubled plant offline recently to address problems with the main turbine control systems, a spokesman for the Nuclear Regulatory Commission said.

"Exelon sought to repair turbine control valve mechanical linkages, which allow operators to adjust the valves remotely, and the unit was at reduced power during this work," NRC spokesman Neil R. Sheehan said.

"However, the company has since determined it needs to shut down the plant to address the issue," he said then.

The plant automatically shut down - which is referred to as a scram - on Nov. 20, due to a fault in the turbine control system. It went back online at 85 percent power in late November for troubleshooting and repairs to continue to address, the turbine control instability issues.

The turbine is considered to be on the “non-nuclear” side of the plant, which means it has a primary role is for power production and is not directly involved in the fissioning process.

The turbine control valves regulate the amount of steam flowing into the turbine. That steam turns the turbine and generates electricity that is sent out to the grid.

Image: Patricia A. Miller