Irving raises one rotor from bottom of Saint John harbour

Officials with Irving Equipment say they've raised one of two huge turbines that fell into Saint John harbour last week as they were being transferred to a barge.

In a statement, the company said the lift occurred at around noon Saturday and that the component was being cleaned. It will be assessed to determine if was damaged by the fall and its exposure to salt water.

The company said the second turbine was expected to be raised Sunday, while a transporter was lifted to the surface Friday.

The 107-tonne turbine rotors were destined for NB Power's Point Lepreau Nuclear Generating Station when the units toppled into the harbour while being loaded onto a barge for transport.

The new rotors from Siemens in the United Kingdom were designed to spin faster, generating an extra $15 million worth of power each year.