Surry nuclear reactor is shut down after transformers fail

Unit Two was shut down around 6 p.m. October 7 after steam blew out some sheet metal, which landed on a power line that serves one of the backup transformers, said Richard Zher, a spokesman for Dominion Resources Inc., the Richmond-based power company that owns the plant. Officials weren't sure what caused the second transformer to shut down, Zher said.

That first reserve electrical transformer was repaired, and Dominion was working on the second, Zher said. A third transformer was not affected.

Backup diesel generators kicked in when the two transformers shut down, Zher said.

Zher said Dominion was investigating what caused steam to blow out the siding in a building where cold water is turned into steam, which powers a turbine that creates electricity through a generator.

"Once we have made that determination and resolved any problems, we will restart" the reactor, Zher said.

The plant issued an alert, as required by federal guidelines, he said. "No one was injured and it didn't cause any threat to public health or safety," Zher said.

The Surry nuclear units produce 15 percent of the electricity in Dominion's service area.