The alarm was raised just before 9:00 pm (2100 GMT) Thursday by employees disposing of spent fuel in ponds at the Torness plant 30 miles (48 kilometres) southeast of Edinburgh.

A British Energy spokesman said officials were monitoring the situation but there was no major panic.

"Nobody has been evacuated and the plant is continuing to generate electricity. The emergency services were called as is normal in this situation but we will continue to monitor the fuel pond," he said.

The spokesman said he could not elaborate on the behaviour of the fuel that prompted the concern. All 38 staff working at the time had been accounted for and were continuing to work, he added.

Torness, which lies near the main A1 trunk road between the Scottish capital and Newcastle, northeast England, was opened in 1988 and employs about 475 people.

The plant had been expected to close in 2023 but British Energy announced earlier this month that updating vital equipment could extend its operating life.

British Energy has a two billion pound (2.92 billion euro, 3.47 billion dollar) a year turnover.

It generates about 55 percent of Scotland's electricity from Torness and the Hunterston "B" nuclear power station about 45 miles (72 kilometres) southwest of Glasgow.

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