According to the statement posted by SMN Power Holdings, the fire started in a low-voltage
switch room at their water desalination property -- Barka II station.
At issue is the sheer number of alarms, which range from day-to-day activities (known as nuisance alarms) such as the opening of an electrical
switch room door, to notification of a critical equipment failure.
The base of the
switch room, which houses the electrical switching and control systems equipment, was completed earlier this week.
Fire crews battled to halt the blaze, which broke out at about 8pm last night at Doncaster Paralloy in Cowpen industrial estate, Billingham, spreading to an 11,000 volt
switch room with the risk of a blast.
"We found the remote controls operated relays which had been placed in the
switch room boxes.
Commissioning of the processing plant commenced this week with the energisation of the crushing plant
switch room and the energisation of the heavy media plant
switch room will follow later in the week.