Ontario to build “fleet of SMRs” at Darlington nuclear site
Nuclear

Ontario to build “fleet of SMRs” at Darlington nuclear site

Ontario Power Generation (OPG) and the provincial government are planning to build three additional small modular reactors (SMRs), for a total of four SMRs at the Darlington nuclear site.

OPG already plans to develop the “first grid-scale SMR” in North America at the Darlington site, GE Hitachi’s BWRX-300 reactor. OPG is partnering with GEH, SNC-Lavalin and Aecon on the project, with construction expected complete by 2028.

Subject to Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission (CNSC) regulatory approvals, the additional SMRs could come online between 2034 and 2036. The provincial government said OPG could take learnings from the construction of the first unit to deliver cost savings on the subsequent units.

Building multiple units would also allow common infrastructure such as cooling water intake, transmission connection and control room to be utilized by all four units instead of just one.

The four units once deployed would produce a total 1,200 MW of electricity.

Supporting new SMR development and investing in nuclear power is part of the government’s larger plan to prepare for electricity demand in the 2030s and 2040s. Nuclear power currently provides about 50% of Ontario’s electricity supply.

“A fleet of SMRs at the Darlington New Nuclear Site is key to meeting growing electricity demands and net zero goals,” said Ken Hartwick, OPG President and CEO.

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