Point Lepreau Generating Station Margin Assessment for Power Uprate Strategy

Abstract

As the CANDU 6 design has evolved, the electrical power output has increased with each successive plant. Gentilly-2, Point Lepreau, Wolsong-2, and Qinshan each have gross electrical output of 676 MWe, 680 MWe, 715 MWe, and 728 MWe, respectively. Though plants' thermal power for all CANDU 6 stations has remained the same, higher electrical power outputs were achieved by improving efficiencies of turbines and other turbine-related systems. For Point Lepreau Nuclear Generating Station (PLNGS), a number of studies were conducted to investigate various uprate options to achieve enhanced thermal and electrical power outputs. This assessment examines potential improvements to achieve a high gross electrical output to a target of 730 MWe, and to explore additional changes than can be readily implemented, with minimal cost and risk, to further uprate the plant, up to approximately 735 MWe.