Morning Report for December 15, 2003

Headquarters Daily Report

• REGION IV

REGION IV

FAILURE OF EMERGENCY DIESEL GENERATOR

Licensee/Facility: STP NUCLEAR OPERATING CO. South Texas 2 WADSWORTH, Texas Dockets: 05000499 [2] W-4-LP License No:

Notification: MR Number: 4-2003-0016 Date: 12/09/2003

Discussion:

DISCUSSION: On December 9, 2003, the South Texas Project Unit 2 licensee was performing a surveillance test run of emergency diesel generator 22. The diesel generator had been operating at full rated load for approximately 20 minutes when the control room received alarms indicating diesel generator trouble and that the diesel generator output breaker was open. In response, an operator shutdown the engine for the generator by pulling the engine fuel rack shutoff lever.

Initial inspection by the licensee revealed that parts of the generator's, number 9R piston and connecting rod, had been ejected from the engine. The ejected parts created a large hole in the southeast side of the crankcase. There were no personnel injuries. The licensee is evaluating the damage and has formed a team to determine the cause of the failure. This emergency diesel generator is one of three generators for Unit 2.

REGIONAL ACTION:

The NRC staff is monitoring the licensee's followup activities. On December 15, 2003, the NRC dispatched a special inspection team to review the licensee's response to the generator failure, the root cause determination, and the corrective actions.

Accession Numbers:

Accession No	Accession Date
ML033490318	12/15/2003

Contacts:

Name	Office Abbrev	Phone No	E-Mail
BILL JOHNSON	R4	(817) 860-8148	WDJ