NB Power says ‘planned maintenance outage’ at Point Lepreau to run until August

The inside of the Point Lepreau Nuclear Generating Station is pictured. (Source: NB Power)

Atlantic Canada’s only nuclear generating station is offline, with a “planned maintenance outage” scheduled to run until August.

NB Power says the planned outage at the Point Lepreau Nuclear Generating Station began on April 10 and “is expected to last 119 days.”

“Planned outages are a vital part of nuclear facility operations as they provide the opportunity to inspect and service equipment that cannot be accessed while the station is online,” says NB Power in a statement. “This proactive maintenance will help ensure the station continues to meet rigorous safety standards while achieving long-term sustained performance.”

NB Power says more than 20,000 tasks are scheduled to happen during the outage, including “detailed inspections, pump and motor maintenance, and electrical system testing.”

“As part of the outage, NB Power will also take the opportunity to advance work related to potential future isotope production at the station,” says the utility’s statement.

NB Power has signaled isotope production as opportunity for New Brunswick, with Point Lepreau being the only facility in Canada able to produce the resource outside of Ontario.

CTV News Atlantic asked NB Power on Tuesday for any budgeted costs of the planned outage but didn’t receive an answer by deadline.

“Costs associated with the outage will be included in NB Power’s annual financial statements, which are publicly available,” the utility’s statement reads.

On April 1, a three-year agreement between NB Power and Laurentis Energy Partners (a subsidiary of Ontario Power Generation) took effect, which will have Laurentis officials provide oversight at the facility.

An objective of the agreement is to see Point Lepreau operate at 90 per cent capacity by 2029, with scheduled shutdowns happening every other year.

During the 2024-25 fiscal year, Point Lepreau operated 27 per cent of the time, accounting for both scheduled and unscheduled outages.

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