THE workforce at Torness nuclear power station will almost double in number over the next nine weeks as a £30 million maintenance programme is carried out.
One of the two nuclear reactors at EDF Energy’s plant in East Lothian went out of service yesterday and will now be the subject of a rigorous inspection and refurbishment.
After much controversy and despite a campaign to stop its construction, Torness opened in 1988. The last of the UK’s second- generation nuclear power stations, it is due to close in 2023.
EDF Energy, however, has indicated it may apply for a minimum five-year extension to the plant’s life. In a similar move, Hunterston B, their Ayrshire nuclear station, was three years ago granted a seven-year life extension until 2023. Despite opposition from environmental campaigners such as Friends of the Earth, the Scottish Government’s official position is:“Subject to the relevant safety cases being made for Torness, the Scottish Government will not oppose the operating life extension application of that station.”
The current investment will help to prolong Torness’s working life. More than 500 extra workers will join the existing 750-strong workforce on the site a few miles south-east of Dunbar.
The station employs 500 full-time staff and a further 250 contract workers. Many of the additional workforce are from East Lothian and the local economy will be boosted by other incoming workers taking up temporary accommodation.
More than 12,000 separate pieces of work will take place, each of them carefully planned during two years of preparation for the “statutory outage”, as it is known. According to EDF, the programme will include inspections inside the reactor, as well as installation of new equipment
The biggest projects include exchanging two large gas circulators which help cool the reactor and replacing blades on a turbine which is used to turn steam into low-carbon electricity.
The maintenance periods take place every three years on each reactor and are coordinated in advance with the National Grid to ensure that there is no impact on the UK electricity supply.
Torness’s other reactor is due to continue operating normally throughout the period. At full capacity, the two reactors generate enough electricity to power more than two million homes.
The Office for Nuclear Regulation will consider inspection reports from the outage before giving permission for the reactor to begin operations again.
EDF took advantage of yesterday’s commencement of work to publicise its presence in Scotland. As well as 1,000 workers at Torness and Hunterston, the company employs 200 office-based staff in East Kilbride.
EDF was also anxious to emphasise its green credentials. It operates two windfarms in the Borders and supplies electricity to almost all public sector bodies in Scotland.
Following a landmark agreement with Network Rail the company also provides nuclear-backed Blue energy to power the UKs electric rail network.
Paul Winkle, station director at Torness, said: “This inspection, maintenance and investment programme has been carefully planned and will enable us to continue safely generating low-carbon electricity at Torness for many years to come.
“It’s good news for the local economy as shops, taxi firms, restaurants, B&Bs and hotels will benefit from the large number of extra people who will be staying in and around East Lothian.”
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