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1273837860000 | Press Release

Philippsburg Nuclear Power Station: Block 1 on line again after inspection

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Forward-looking investment in first-class plant and secure electricity supply

Karlsruhe. Block 1 of the Philippsburg Nuclear Power Station (KKP 1) has been on line again since 1414 May 2010 after its annual inspection. In the past few weeks, tests and maintenance work, technical projects and the annual fuel element replacement have been completed. During the inspection, more than 1,000 extra employees from manufacturing and specialist companies have supported the KKP inspection team. The total workforce completed around 6,000 separate tasks.

Nuclear power and renewable energies are partners in the energy mix

"Nuclear power has a permanent place in the EnBW energy mix. Just like renewable energies and, of course, conventional power stations," explains Christoph Heil, technical director of the Philippsburg nuclear power station. "For us, extensions to the lives of safe nuclear power stations and the committed expansion of renewable energies are two sides of the same coin. And this relies on a stable, climate-friendly and forward-looking energy supply," continues Christoph Heil.

Because nuclear power stations can be controlled quickly and extensively, they can equalise the weather-related production fluctuations of wind power photovoltaic plants very easily. This flexibility is becoming ever more important as renewable energies are expanded further. "Our investments in nuclear power stations like Block 1 in Philippsburg therefore ensure not only technically high-class plants but they also support network stability overall and thus a secure power supply," Christoph Heil summarises. Further information on this topic is available on the internet at www.enbw.com/netzpartner.

Inspection programme successfully implemented

"The inspection proceeded very pleasingly," reports Roman Zofka, head of the Block 1 plant. "The entire team did a good job. The focus included the inspection of the generator, construction work on one of the four cooling water channels, examining the internal coating of the condensation chambers and replacing isolators on the generator transformer. In addition, the programme included work on various pumps, for example the motor inspection of two of the nine circulating pumps, inspection of the pump and the motor on one each of three reactor feed pumps, replacing the pump on one of the four main cooling water pumps and inspecting the four cooling tower pumps."

The inspection work was monitored by the Baden-Württemberg Environmental Ministry and was accompanied by experts from TÜV and KeTAG (Kerntechnik-Gutachterarbeitsgemeinschaft Baden-Württemberg). After the work had been inspected, the Environmental approved the restart of the plant. During the inspection, the regulatory authority recorded two of reportable events of the lowest reporting class. The events did not impact on the safety of the plant, the staff or the surrounding area.

Block 1 of the Philippsburg Nuclear Power Station is a boiling-water reactor with an electrical output of 926 megawatts. The plant was commissioned in 1979 and in 2009 it generated around six and a half billion kilowatt hours. Block 1 is operated by EnBW Kernkraft GmbH (EnKK). EnKK operates the nuclear power stations in Neckarwestheim and Philippsburg, as well as the nuclear power station currently being decommissioned in Obrigheim. The sites at Neckarwestheim and Philippsburg generate around half of the electricity required by Baden-Württemberg.

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Corporate Communications
EnBW Energie Baden-Württemberg AG
Durlacher Allee 93
76131 Karlsruhe
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