Toronto: Ontario Power Generation said September 3 that work was underway on refurbishing Unit 3 of the Darlington Nuclear Generating Station, following the unit’s safe shutdown on July 30.
“This enormous clean energy project will play a significant role in Ontario’s fight against climate change by providing 30-plus years of clean, low-cost and reliable power for Ontarians,” said Ken Hartwick, OPG’s President and CEO. “The start of Unit 3 refurbishment reflects the Province’s confidence in our project team’s ability to build on its success to date and complete this next phase of the project.”
“Refurbishing Darlington’s Unit 3 is crucial for securing Ontario’s long-term energy future,” said Greg Rickford, Minister of Energy, Northern Development and Mines. “Today’s announcement brings us one step closer to extending the life of Darlington, which will enable Ontarians to benefit from reliable, emission-free and low-cost energy for decades to come.”
In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, OPG postponed the commencement of the Unit 3 refurbishment from its scheduled start in May 2020. Now that the Unit 3 reactor has been safely shut down and disconnected from Ontario’s electricity grid, workers will use remote-controlled tooling to remove 6,240 fuel bundles from the unit over the next three months and place them in water-filled fuel bays for up to 10 years of safe storage.
The Darlington refurbishment project is scheduled for completion by the end of 2026. Overall, OPG says, the project continues to remain on time and on budget.