Nuclear Power Station in US Shut Down after Transformer Explosion
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – One of the reactors at the Oconee Nuclear Station on Lake Keowee near Seneca, South Carolina, was shut down after a series of explosions and a fire damaged a transformer on site.
The operator declared the incident on Sunday “unusual” but emphasized there was no threat of radiation release.
Emergency crews deployed at the scene managed to contain the fire.
“Unit 1 was shut down as a precaution,” Oconee County Emergency Management said in a statement. “There is no potential for release.”
Oconee Nuclear Station is a nuclear power plant located on Lake Keowee near Seneca, South Carolina.
The plant operator Duke Energy said that while “Unit 1 has been safely shutdown” the remaining “Units 2 and 3 continue to operate safely,” Russia Today reported.
Officials blamed the “unusual event” on electrical equipment failure inside a transformer they say was located outside the building.
Authorities urged the public stay away from the area as emergency personnel and Duke Energy staff work around the area. However they emphasized that there was no security risk that would require evacuations or traffic detours.
The intense flames and thick black smoke coming out of the transformer was reportedly due to the oil that was inside.
The blaze was completely extinguished with the help of local fire brigades, and had “no impact” on plant employees or the facility’s neighbors.
Oconee is one of the largest nuclear power plants in the US with a capacity of some 2,600 megawatts and is the second to have its operating license extended for an additional twenty years.