Didcot back to 75% capacity after fire
29 Oct 2014
The Didcot B power station unit damaged by fire last week has returned to partial operation, plant owner and operator RWE npower announced today.
Didcot B is a 1,360MW power station comprising two combined cycle gas turbine (CCGT) units, each with its own cooling tower module.
On Sunday 19th October a fire broke out in one of the cooling tower modules, rendering the affected CCGT unit inoperable in the short term and effectively halving Didcot B’s generating capacity.
Huge credit is due to the RWE engineering teams whose expertise meant that we were able to bring Module 5 back into service after only nine days
RWE Generation’s Roger Miesen
However, RWE npower today said that the affected unit, called Module 5, had now returned to operating at 50% capacity, increasing Didcot B’s overall generation to 75% of its installed capacity.
The company said that the fire affected part of Module 5’s cooling tower structure but caused no damage to the rest of the station.
“It’s good news that Module 5 is back online so quickly,” said RWE Generation head of Hard Coal and Gas Roger Miesen.
“It will be available to generate power this winter and essential repairs will be in the region of single digit million pounds. Our thanks go out for the fantastic response and dedication of the emergency services who worked alongside RWE teams to bring the fire under control quickly and safely. Huge credit is also due to the RWE site and central engineering teams whose expertise meant that we were able to bring Module 5 back into service after only nine days.”
Investigations continue into the root cause of the fire.
