The provincial government is backing Ontario Power Generation to move forward with the refurbishment of units 5-8 at the Pickering nuclear power plant. OPG will now start the initiation phase of this project.
During the announcement, Ontario Minister of Energy Todd Smith expressed that refurbishing these four Candu units would allow the plant to generate “at least” another 30 years of safe, reliable and clean electricity while creating thousands of new jobs. “With global business looking to expand in jurisdictions with reliable, affordable and clean electricity, a refurbished Pickering Nuclear Generating Station would help Ontario compete for and land more game-changing investments,” he stated.
The government is supporting OPG’s CAD2 billion (USD1.5 billion) budget for this project’s initiation phase, which will cover engineering and design work as well as securing long-lead components to make sure materials are available when needed and to help control costs. OPG along with its business partners will also explore potential Indigenous engagement opportunities in contracting, employment, and other economic benefits tied to the project, according to the government.
OPG’s current license for the Pickering nuclear generating station expires in August 2028 but does not permit commercial operations for any of the units beyond December 31, 2024. The provincial government has previously aided OPG in extending its operating period past that date: earlier this year, the company applied to the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission for an extension on operating units 5-8 until late 2026.
OPG is over halfway through a CAD12.8 billion project to refurbish four units at its Darlington plant, set for completion by late 2026. The “thousands” of lessons learned from that project and from Bruce Power’s ongoing major refurbishment of six Candu units at its facility provide a “major advantage” toward ensuring this project’s success, said OPG President and CEO Ken Hartwick.
“Our experience refurbishing Darlington, a highly complex project that remains on time and on budget, will be invaluable as we begin the work necessary so Pickering can continue to help meet the growing electricity demands of this thriving province for another three-plus decades,” he remarked.
OPG’s preliminary schedule expects that refurbishing the Pickering units will be completed by around the mid-2030s. An initial analysis by the Conference Board of Canada predicts that this project could boost the province’s GDP by CAD19.4 billion during its eleven-year refurbishment timeline, create about 11,000 jobs annually during that time frame, and sustain more than 6000 jobs each year after refurbishment during operation.
“We are thrilled that Pickering, a workhorse of the Canadian energy system, will be refurbished and given the opportunity to provide us with another 30 years of affordable, sustainable clean energy,” John Gorman, president and CEO of the Canadian Nuclear Association said. “This project ensures that we are maintaining and growing the skills and expertise that we have invested in over the past decade with refurbishment and major component replacement projects at Darlington and Bruce.”
The government noted it would implement a multi-phase approvals process to ensure that refurbishing Pickering “only proceeds if it is in the best interests of Ontario and its ratepayers.” Regulatory approval will also be required for this refurbishment.
The Ontario government is also backing pre-development efforts for possible large-scale nuclear development at Bruce Power along with plans for three additional small modular reactors at Darlington as part of its strategy aimed at meeting electricity demand while reducing emissions through electrifying its economy as outlined in Powering Ontario’s Growth last year.
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Historic performance
Pickering currently operates six Candu units supplying about 14% of Ontario’s electricity needs. In 2023 alone, it generated 21.5 TWh – marking its second-highest output ever as a six-unit station. Additionally, it produces around 20% of cobalt-60 worldwide-a medical radioisotope used primarily for irradiating single-use medical devices. The four units set for refurbishment-often referred to as Pickering B-commenced operations back in the mid-1980s. Meanwhile, the other operational reactors-units 1and4-are partofthefour-unit Pickering A plant which started workinginearly1970sbutwaslaid upin1997. Units1and4underwentrefurbishmentbefore returningtoservicein2003(unit4)and2005(unit1), yetremain slatedforclosurebyendof2024. Units2and3didnotreturntoserviceafterbeing laidup.Source link
