Workers to wear masks at asbestos power plant

About 15 workers will be wearing head-to-toe overalls, breathing masks and gloves to restart and run the New Plymouth power station, shut down last year because of asbestos.

The 100-megawatt plant was shut permanently in December because of safety concerns, but Contact Energy has decided to bring it back into action to help in the national power shortage.

The plant should be running again early next month to help meet peak demand over winter.

"The safety of our people is Contact's absolute priority," chief executive David Baldwin said.

People running the plant will have to wear the same gear as those stripping the plant of asbestos.

There are also full "wash-down decontamination" processes for all staff going out of the areas with asbestos.

The Labour Department had approved the safety measures, Contact said.

"Some Contact staff are already working in the containment area as part of the asbestos removal project, and every person involved in recommissioning and operating this unit will have the same level of protection as those involved in the asbestos removal programme," Mr Baldwin said.

About 60 staff are involved in removing asbestos and 15 people will run the plant.

Independent energy experts say there is now a one-in-five chance of power blackouts because of the lowest hydro lake storage levels since the 1992 power crisis.

The Government has not yet called for a public power savings campaign, though the industry has one ready to go.

Meanwhile, Energy Minister David Parker has said power blackouts are unlikely this winter.

Mr Parker told Radio New Zealand the situation was not out of control.

"We haven't had blackouts in New Zealand since the 1970s and I don't think we will have them this year."

- © Fairfax NZ News