THE reactor at Heysham nuclear plant, which was closed last Tuesday following an oil, fire is expected to reopen later this week after an internal investigation.
Yesterday a spokesman for Nuclear Electric said the reactor could be reopened today or, at the very latest, on Friday depending on when the internal investigation is completed.
However the spokesman stressed that the fire, which broke out on a turbine plant at the Heysham plant, near Morecambe, Lancashire, was "very small" and said Nuclear Electric had been "surprised" by the Irish Government's reaction.
"There has been a fair amount of overreacting. It was not a major blaze, it was a very small oil fire which was put out by one man and a fire extinguisher. There has been a major amount of exaggeration.
"There was no danger to anyone in the plant or the public. The only real damage is financial damage to the company whilst the reactor remains closed," he said.
Last week the Minister of State for Energy, Mr Emmet Stagg, complained that the British government had failed to inform him immediately about the fire and stressed that he expected to receive the "fullest details" about the incident.
The reactor is one of two at the Heysham One Plant, which supplies electricity to Britain's National Grid. It is believed the fire started after the turbine overheated.