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One of three 250MW units at the former coal station at Tilbury exported power to the grid for the first time since being damaged by fire in February.
Npower had initially hoped unit 8 would be back in service in April but then revised its forecast to early June. The company still aims to return units 9 and 10 to service at the end of July but that schedule could also slip.
In a statement Npower said the fire was caused by a “number of relatively minor events that, taken in isolation would not have escalated… which developed from a localised smouldering incident”.
“When wood pellets in neighbouring hoppers were moved, significant air drafts were created and, despite fire suppressant foam having been used to cap the affected areas, it is likely that the increased levels of oxygen caused the ignition of the smouldering dust. Although it has not been possible to definitively identify the mechanism for the escalation, this is considered to be the most likely cause.”
The company said it had implemented a number of safety improvements alongside the repairs.
See more on the Tilbury incident here.
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