The Ontario government has given the green light to Ontario Power Generation’s plan for refurbishing four Candu nuclear reactors at Pickering, allowing the project to move into its execution phase, pending final regulatory approvals.
“For over 50 years, nuclear power has been essential to Ontario’s energy grid, with the Pickering Nuclear Generating Station being one of the top-performing and consistently operational nuclear facilities worldwide,” said Minister of Energy and Mines Stephen Lecce during the announcement of the government’s approval.
“As part of our major jobs plan aimed at getting Canadians back to work, extending the facility’s life will generate employment for tens of thousands of skilled workers while strengthening the Ontario supply chain and keeping 90 percent of our project spending within Canada.”
Pickering units 5-8 – referred to as Pickering B – started operations in the mid-1980s and were supposed to stop generating electricity this year. However, in 2022, the provincial government instructed OPG to keep them running until 2026 and reassess whether refurbishment was feasible. The government authorized OPG to begin the initiation phase of this refurbishment project in January 2024, followed by permission for starting the project definition phase a year later.
The total budget for refurbishing Pickering is CAD26.8 billion (USD19.1 billion), but according to a report by the Conference Board of Canada, this major project – which will allow continued operation for up to another 38 years – is expected to boost Ontario’s GDP by CAD38.2 billion in 2024 dollars throughout its lifespan, including CAD17 billion during refurbishment. It will also raise Canada’s national GDP by CAD41.6 billion over that period.
About 30,500 jobs will be created during refurbishment, while ongoing station operations are set to maintain 6,700 jobs. To help reduce costs, the government plans on exploring financial instruments that would benefit ratepayers while OPG “continues to explore other optimal financing arrangements.”
Pickering (Image: OPG)
Refurbishing CANDU reactors is a significant task involving thousands of parts – including key components like steam generators and pressure tubes – which must be inspected or replaced before putting the reassembled reactor back into service. OPG has been refurbishing four units at its Darlington site and plans to apply many lessons learned from that experience at Pickering since this project is larger and more complex than Darlington’s work. The effort at Pickering includes replacing all 48 steam generators across its four units – parts that were only inspected but not replaced at Darlington.
With governmental approval now secured, OPG plans on progressing through the definition phase which will extend well into 2026. Contracts have already been signed with local suppliers for refurbishment work, including a CAD2.1-billion contract with Can Atom for early engineering and procurement in preparation for executing their Retube Feeder and Boiler Replacement Program. They expect to kick off Project Execution Phase in early 2027 with an estimated completion around mid-2030s.
“This is a truly remarkable moment for Pickering Nuclear, our employees, and the community,” stated OPG President and CEO Nicolle Butcher. “We are ready to utilize all we’ve learned from our Darlington Refurbishment along with constructing G7’s first Small Modular Reactor as we aim for another successful nuclear refurbishment here in Ontario. This project will ensure that this vital station continues contributing significantly-by producing essential energy and economic advantages while sustaining quality jobs-and supporting energy security both in Ontario and Canada.”
Pickering units 1 and 4 – which complete Pickering A – stopped commercial operations back in 2024.
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