East Lothian Courier | News | Evacuation at Torness

Tuesday, 6th January, 2009

Published: Thursday, 28th February, 2008 10:00

Evacuation at Torness

FORTY-NINE nuclear power workers had to be evacuated from the reactor building at Torness after monitoring equipment showed increased levels of carbon dioxide.

Hours later, in an unrelated incident, an oil leak forced the shutdown of the plant’s No2 reactor.

Ironically, both incidents occured on the same day that Torness was hosting a public meeting to promote its image in providing jobs, community support, and a ‘safe and responsible’ working environment.

Company officials insisted that the visiting community representatives – who were in the training and induction centre with station director Brian Cowell – were not in any danger.

As a result of last Wednesday’s incidents, Torness has been operating

at 50 per cent capacity for more than a week.

Since then, the National Grid has been using a number of back-up power sources, including nearby Cockenzie power station, to maintain a full supply of electricity to county homes and businesses.

A spokeswoman for British Energy said: “At nuclear power stations, CO2 levels are monitored at all times.

“On February 20, higher than normal CO2 readings were detected by monitors in the reactor building, indicating an excess of carbon dioxide inside parts of the reactor building.

“Monitoring around the plant confirmed no indications of a release of carbon dioxide to the environment or outside of the reactor building.

“The 49 people working in that area of the plant left the reactor building while tried and tested procedures were put into action to dissipate the residual CO2.

“Meanwhile, the plant continued to operate as normal, although just after midnight on the same evening, another unrelated incident caused reactor No2 to be manually shutdown.

“The faults have been identified and rectified, and a re-start plan has been put into operation to bring the reactor back on-line.”

At the time of going to press on Wednesday afternoon, technicians were still working to bring the reactor in question back on stream.

“We would not comment on cost to the company, as this is commercial information,” added the spokeswoman.

“But it is important to note that cost is always secondary to the safety of the public, the personnel, and the plant.

“Nobody’s safety was ever compromised at any time throughout the event.”

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