OPG releases 2018 second quarter Darlington Refurb project report

This fall, Ontario Power Generation and our project partners will reach the two-year anniversary since we began executing the Darlington Refurbishment Project. Heading toward this milestone, and after the successful disassembly of the Unit 2 reactor during our second quarter, the project remains on time and on budget.

We are now installing 480 calandria tubes into the unit — a complex series of work that will mark the historic start to rebuilding the reactor and generating another 30 years of safe, clean and reliable energy for Ontarians.

In addition to being an energy generator, the Darlington Refurbishment Project is an economic generator, creating opportunities for businesses and workers in Ontario.

By 2021, when the project team is half-way through refurbishment of all four units at Darlington, the provincial demand for skilled workers will be at its peak. Looking ahead, OPG has been taking proactive steps to help fill the gap, particularly through collaboration with other nuclear organizations.

Bruce Power will commence its Life Extension Program in 2020, and so, like OPG, has a vested interest in ensuring the nuclear industry has access to a steady supply of highly qualified workers. Both organizations have been working together on a number of focus areas, including labour arrangements, in accordance with our 2015 Memorandum of Understanding on sharing best practices during our refurbishment programs and in our station operations. Our efforts also directly support Ontario’s 2017 Long-Term Energy Plan.

In this report, you will learn more about the status of the Darlington Refurbishment Project and how OPG is working to build the future of Ontario by extending the lifetime of the province’s nuclear fleet.

Dietmar Reiner,
Senior Vice President, Nuclear Projects