US-based Exelon has suspended operations at its Oyster Creek nuclear power plant in the state of New Jersey, as a precautionary measure against the Hurricane Irene that hit nation’s East Coast region.
Exelon director of nuclear communications Marshall Murphy said the reactor has a capacity of 636MW and generates electricity sufficient to power 600,000 homes.
It’s really as a precaution, a conservative action because we do expect hurricane force winds, Reuters quoted as Murphy saying.
Exelon said it has previously reduced reactor power at the plant to prepare for a possible shutdown and the duration of the outage will be short, reports Reuters.