Ontario unveils plan to refurbish Pickering nuclear plant; All you need to know

(Aanchal Nigam / Red Maple)


Image Source: Unsplash/ Pickering B

The Ontario government has ramped up its refurbishment process of four, ageing, power plants.

On Tuesday, Ontario announced its plans to refurbish half-century old Pickering nuclear power plant which would help in keeping the plant operational for another three decades.

Remarkably, the announcement comes in the backdrop of a forecast that Ontario electricity demand would witness a stark increase in the coming decades. 

Ontario Energy Minister Todd Smith made the announcement of Doug Ford’s government supporting Ontario's Power Generation's plan involving the four power plants.

“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,” said Smith. 

“The refurbishment of Pickering would create thousands of new jobs and help produce at least another 30 years of safe, reliable and clean electricity to power the next major international investment, the new homes we are building and industries as they grow and electrify.”

This process would take 11 years while also paving the way for 11,000 jobs per year. The Ontario Power Generation plan would also increase Ontario’s GDP by $19.4 billion.

These units to be renovated, date back to the 1980s and they are equipped with Candu reactors, collectively called the Pickering B. The refurbishment plan would ensure the supply of 2,000 megawatts of power, comparable to the current output of those units.

Notably, the plan is yet to be approved by the Canadian Nuclear Commission. 

The commission is already in the process of considering the previous OPG request to extend the operating licence of Pickering B's existing units until 2026, as per the report.

The expansion also comes at a time when Ontario is making moves for what is expected to be Canada’s biggest-ever expansion of nuclear power. 

Just last summer, Ontario not only announced that it would double the production of the world's largest nuclear generating station in the world, Bruce Power, but the province also announced plans ​​to add three more small modular reactors (SMRs) to the one already in the works at Darlington. It would end up producing electricity for 1.2 million homes. 

The Doug Ford government has touted its nuclear power expansion for the increasing chances of transition to electric vehicles, steel industry’s shift away from coal-fired furnaces along with growing Ontario population. 

Currently, o​​ver half of Ontario's electricity is generated by nuclear power plants, with hydroelectric dams contributing about a quarter. The remaining electricity is reportedly, largely produced by gas-powered plants and wind turbines.