It’s possible that I shall make an ass of myself. But in that case one can always get out of it with a little dialectic. I have, of course, so worded my proposition as to be right either way (K.Marx, Letter to F.Engels on the Indian Mutiny)
Monday, December 20, 2021
JV signs contract for upgrades at Bruce Nuclear Unit 3
Aecon Group Inc., SNC-Lavalin Group, and United Engineers & Constructors Inc. were awarded a fuel channel and feeder replacement contract for Unit 3 at Bruce Nuclear Generating Station in Ontario, Canada.
The contract is worth more than $310 million U.S. dollars. Aecon holds a 55% share in the project, SNC-Lavalin has a 30% share and United Engineers &Constructors holds 15%.
The work at the nuclear power plant involves modernizing reactor-related components – 480 fuel channels and calandria tubes, 960 end fittings and 980 feeder pipes. The partners will also be responsible for operations, robotics and employee management and training.
Planning is expected to start in conjunction with a scheduled outage at the nuclear station in early 2022, with a project completion target of 2026.
The joint venture partners collectively make up the Shoreline Power Group, which was awarded a contract to refurbish the nuclear power plant’s Unit 6 in 2018. That job is expected complete by the end of 2022.
Shoreline is already a preferred parts supplier of Bruce Power and could get similar refurbishing contracts in the future.
“We are making this significant contract award with the confidence that the members of the Shoreline Power Group have demonstrated the experience and commitment to safety, quality and innovation to successfully deliver this key part of our Life Extension program,” said Mike Rencheck, Bruce Power’s President and CEO.
Bruce Power is refurbishing its nuclear fleet so the plant can safely operate through 2064. The Canadian company’s life-extension program involves the gradual replacement of older systems in the plant’s eight reactors during scheduled maintenance outages.
(Source: Bruce Power)
More on Bruce Power’s nuclear life-extension program here.
Ontario Power Generation to deploy GE Hitachi small modular reactor tech
Ontario Power Generation (OPG) has selected GE Hitachi Nuclear Energy (GEH) to supply a BWRX-300 small modular reactor (SMR) for the Darlington New Nuclear Project.
Darlington Nuclear Generating Station, based in Ontario, Canada, generates about 20% of Ontario’s electricity each day, according to OPG.
The Darlington New Nuclear site is the only site in Canada currently licensed for a new nuclear build, and could be completed as early as 2028.
Jay Wileman, President & CEO, GEH, said: “OPG is Ontario’s climate change leader and is positioned to become a world leader in SMRs. Together, this partnership will bring jobs and economic benefits to Durham Region, Ontario and Canada, and potential global export of this technology.”
According to GE, the BWRX-300 produces no carbon during operation and has been designed for lower construction and operating costs compared to traditional nuclear technologies. Furthermore, the BWRX-300 leverages a combination of a new, patented safety breakthrough, proven components, the licensing basis of the US NRC-certified ESBWR and an existing, licensed fuel design.
Ken Hartwick, the CEO of OPG, added: “We know nuclear is a key proven zero-emissions baseload energy source that will help us achieve net-zero as a company by 2040, and act as a catalyst for efficient economy-wide decarbonization by 2050.
“By moving forward, with our industry-leading technology partner GE Hitachi, on deployment of innovative technology for an SMR at Darlington, OPG is paving the way on the development and deployment of the next generation of nuclear power in Canada and beyond.”
GE’s support for the Canadian nuclear industry dates to the early 1950s, when the company helped build the first Canadian nuclear power plant, the Nuclear Power Demonstration (NPD) reactor that became the basis for the entire CANDU fleet.
Ontario’s nuclear industry is necessary
Nuclear power makes electricity clean and affordable for Ontarians and will for years to come. And it plays an important role in fighting disease.
Mark Winfield’s recent take on the issues that face Ontario’s electricity sector and ratepayers is puzzling. It mischaracterizes nuclear power as not being part of the solution to climate change, and it ignores the many benefits nuclear is providing and has the potential to supply in the years ahead. Nuclear innovation will support global healthcare workers through the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond, address energy concerns in rural and Indigenous communities, and help Canada (indeed the world) meet climate change targets and the goal of net-zero emissions by 2050. Hydrogen, a clean energy tool used to fight climate change, can be produced in a machine called an electrolyser, which splits water into hydrogen and oxygen using large amounts of electricity. This is most effective when utilizing a reliable non-emitting baseload supply source such as nuclear power.
Let’s get this straight – nuclear power is the anchor keeping down the price of electricity in Ontario and will continue to be for years to come. Refurbishments at Darlington and Bruce Power are proceeding safely and cost-effectively while supporting jobs and economic recovery through our manufacturing supply chain. A 2017 report by Ontario’s Financial Accountability Office stated, “there is currently no portfolio of alternative low emissions generation which could replace nuclear generation at a comparable cost.” The notion that nuclear is somehow hindering affordability for Ontario ratepayers is just plain wrong.
Nuclear has given the province so much more than just affordable electricity – it provides the chance to reach Ontario’s climate change goals. It was nuclear power, not renewables, that drove Ontario’s elimination of coal-powered generation over the past decade. Nuclear was responsible for 89 per cent of the greenhouse gas emissions reduction achieved by displacing coal in Ontario. Smog days fell from 53 in 2005 to zero by 2015.
The federal government has been clear over the past year. There is no credible path to net-zero without nuclear power. In fact, our emissions would rise without it. We can leverage the potential that clean baseload electricity from nuclear holds to further innovate, electrify and decarbonize. Whether it’s through small modular reactor development (SMRs) to assist remote communities move away from diesel-powered generators among other applications, or to mass-produce hydrogen fuel for use across Canada, the opportunities stemming from nuclear are immense. Ontario Power Generation and Bruce Power both launched net-zero strategies last fall and the nuclear industry is excited to be an innovation leader in this respect.
Canada’s nuclear industry is also a global leader in the supply of medical isotopes, producing 40 per cent of the supply of Cobalt-60, an isotope used to treat cancer and sterilize medical equipment including gowns and swabs. Think about how critical this has been over the past 12 months in helping our frontline workers around the world in the fight against COVID-19.
There are many tangible benefits provided by Ontario’s nuclear industry. And nuclear innovation is poised to revolutionize the fight against climate change and global disease – all while providing the clean, affordable electricity Ontarians need and can rely on.
In summary, Ontario’s nuclear industry is ready and poised to help lead Canada’s post-pandemic recovery and the global clean energy transition in the years ahead. And it will do so while keeping the price of electricity down for ratepayers.
Taylor McKenna is project manager for Ontario’s Nuclear Advantage, an ongoing public communications campaign focused on maintaining support for nuclear energy across Ontario.
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