Unit set to power the Canadian province of Ontario ‘for decades to come’
A major nuclear refurbishment at the Bruce nuclear power station has been completed seven months early and CAD150m (€93m, $107m) under budget.
On Monday, Ontario energy and mines minister Stephen Lecce announced that Bruce Power’s Bruce-3 reactor had returned to service after refurbishment that began in 2023. The CAD1.9bn refurbishment was originally scheduled to return Bruce-3 to the grid in January 2027.
Bruce nuclear station owner and operator Bruce Power said the renewed unit is set to power the Canadian province “for decades to come”. It said the refurbishment will extend Bruce-3’s operating life by 30 to 35 years.
It said the Unit 3 project was delivered safely and successfully, continuing Ontario’s track record of delivering nuclear refurbishments on time, on budget and with quality by a skilled workforce, industry partners and a robust Made-in-Canada supply chain.
As a result of Bruce Power’s performance, the company is expecting to return approximately CAD150m to Ontario ratepayers through the Independent Electricity System Operator (IESO). Provisions built into the Bruce Power refurbishment agreement with the IESO ensure that the people of Ontario benefit from savings realised during the life-extension programme and operation of the Bruce nuclear station.
The Unit 3 refurbishment replaced key components such as fuel channels, feeder tubes, and steam generators. It also marked a significant step in nuclear innovation with the first robotic tools used ever on a reactor face to refurbish a Candu reactor, as well as setting a record for calandria tube removal completing it 11 days ahead of schedule.
The Bruce Power life-extension programme will refurbish six reactors, extending the operating life of the Bruce station to 2064.
Bruce-3 is a 770-MW Candu 750A unit that began commercial operation in 1978. The eight-unit Bruce nuclear station is one of the largest operating nuclear sites in the world.
The Bruce nuclear power station in the Canadian province of Ontario. Courtesy Bruce Power.
