Ontario Power Generation
Located in the Municipality of Clarington in Durham Region, 70 km east of Toronto, the Darlington Nuclear Generating Station is a four unit station with a total output of 3,524 megawatts (MW). The Darlington units were commissioned and placed into operation between 1990 and 1993.
Overview
Ontario Power Generation announced Feb. 16, 2010 a two-part investment strategy for its nuclear generating stations in Durham Region:
- OPG is proceeding with the planning phase for a mid-life refurbishment of the Darlington Nuclear Station;
- OPG is continuing safe operation of the Pickering Nuclear Station for about a decade with a $300-million investment. OPG will then move from operation to a project phase to put Pickering Nuclear into a safe layup and safe storage state, with eventual decommissioning of the station;
OPG has considerable experience managing large projects both in our nuclear and non-nuclear generation operations.
Refurbishment of Darlington Nuclear
OPG's CANDU reactors are designed to provide decades of safe and reliable electricity generation. Mid-way through the reactor's life, replacement of some of the key reactor and station components, such as pressure tubes and feeder pipes, is required to allow for continued operation for about 30 additional years. This is called mid-life refurbishment, or "refurbishment".
OPG will proceed with a detailed planning phase for the mid-life refurbishment of Darlington, with construction expected to start in about 2016. The business decision to move forward with an investment in Darlington comes after very positive outcomes of initial studies on the plant’s condition and continued strong operating performance. The next phase of the process will include an Environmental Assessment, an Integrated Safety Review and an Integrated Improvement Plan that will define the scope, cost and schedule of the refurbishment project.
The refurbishment of Darlington will take place only if it is justified by a solid business case in addition to regulatory acceptance of the Integrated Safety Review, and the Environmental Assessment as well as the Integrated Improvement Plan.
Bill Robinson
Executive Vice President, Nuclear Refurbishment, Projects & Support
Backgrounders
Get the latest information on Darlington refurbishment.