Salt water forces shutdown to NSP power station unit

TRENTON – Nova Scotia Power Inc. is facing a multi-million dollar expense to repair one of its electrical generating units in Trenton following a mechanical failure that caused salt water to enter the unit.
The turbine and boiler in Unit 5, the older of the two units, suffered the damage, NSP spokesperson Neera Ritcey said.
The incident occurred in late March and the unit is expected to be back in operation this fall, she said.
No cost estimate for the repairs was given, nor whether human error or some other factor caused the malfunction.
But Ritcey disputed reports that the repairs will cost more than $10 million.
“That sounds like a high figure,” she said.
Some parts of the unit’s machinery can only process the fresh water or steam while some sections use salt water, she said.
The malfunction caused salt water to enter areas of the machinery that could not handle it, she said.
The company is filing a report of the incident with the Utility and Review Board.