Point Lepreau given final safety approval for restart

New Brunswick's Point Lepreau nuclear power plant has been given itsfinal regulatory approval before returning to full power.

But NB Power officials say it will still be weeks before the station is generating full power for customers.

Point Lepreau, Atlantic Canada's only nuclear reactor,has been shut down for four years during the refurbishment.

The Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission (CNSC) announced Friday that it has allowed the facility to increase reactor power above 35 per cent of its full capacity.

"The refurbishment of the Point Lepreau Generating Station has allowed [NB Power] to modernize the facility to include additional safety features, which are now required by the CNSC at all nuclear power plants in Canada in response to the Fukushima accident," CNSC's executive vice-president and chief regulatory operations officer Ramzi Jammal said in a statement.

'Now that safety tests have been completed and regulatory requirements have been met, the CNSC has authorized [NB Power] to move toward normal operation.' Ramzi Jammal, CNSC

"Now that safety tests have been completed and regulatory requirements have been met, the CNSC has authorized[NB Power]to move toward normal operation," he said.

More tests are still required, including raising and lowering reactor power and connecting and disconnecting the generator from the grid,NB Powersaid.

The CNSC will continue to monitor the facility's operation to ensure all necessary measures are taken to protect the public, workers and the environment, Jammal said.

Last month, Point Lepreau began producing electricityfor homes and businesses for the first time since the refurbishment started in 2008.

The refurbishment is expected to allow the 660-megawatt plant to generate power for another 25 to 30 years.

It will produce enough electricity to power more than 333,000 homes per year, officials have said.

The project is about three years behind schedule and $1-billion over the original $1.4-billion budget.

The Point Lepreau refurbishment project was the first time that Atomic Energy of Canada Ltd. attempted to rebuild a Candu-6 reactor.

The provincial government has said it is seeking financial compensation from the federal government for the cost overruns.

Prime Minister Stephen Harper has consistently said the federal government would only pay its contractual obligations.