Ontario Power Generation - Nuclear Power

Nuclear Power

OPG is Canada's largest owner of nuclear power plants with responsibility for operating the Pickering A, Pickering B, and Darlington nuclear generating stations in Ontario. OPG also owns the Bruce A and Bruce B nuclear stations. Since May 2001, the Bruce A and Bruce B stations have been on a long term lease to Bruce Power which operates, maintains and is refurbishing the Bruce A units. The lease is set to expire in 2018 but can be extended for an additional 25 years.

OPG is proposing to construct and operate a deep geologic repository on the Bruce Nuclear site, adjacent to its present Western Waste Management Facility. The repository would provide permanent storage of low- and intermediate-level radioactive waste produced from the operation of the Bruce, Pickering, and Darlington nuclear generating stations. In 2005, OPG initiated the regulatory approval process. The first steps are a comprehensive environmental assessment by the Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency (CEAA), and an application for a site preparation and construction licence from the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission. .

OPG has also begun the process for building up to four new nuclear units at the site of its Darlington Nuclear Station. There is a lengthy approvals process in place, including a full Environmental Assessment which will take 3–4 years to complete. If everything goes well, the new units would go into service starting in 2018. No decision has yet been made on what technology the new reactors will use.

After conducting studies to determine the feasibility of refurbishing the 4 reactors at the Pickering B nuclear generating station. In February 2010 an announcement was made that they would be kept in good repair until 2020 but would not undergo a full refurbishment as it would not be economical. The 4 reactors at Pickering B represent over 2,000 megawatts of generating capacity. The two operating reactors at Pickering A will also close in 2020. The four reactors at Darlington will be refurbished as their performance and size makes this economically desirable.