Bruce Power says it will advance its Unit 3 Major Component Replacement in 2023.
The Tiverton based nuclear operator says in a release, this comes after the Independent Electricity System Operator (IESO) verified the company’s plan for the project.
This would be the next step in Bruce Power’s Life-Extension Program, which is one of Canada’s largest private-sector clean energy projects, which Bruce Power says will help Ontario and Canada reach their Net Zero targets.
President and CEO Mike Rencheck says in a statement, “The Unit 3 Major Component Replacement continues the renewal of our facilities that Ontario’s families and businesses are counting on to provide clean, reliable, and affordable electricity, good jobs and life-saving medical isotopes for decades,” adding, “Our employees, unions and industry continue to work hard every day to secure a bright future for Ontario by decarbonizing our electricity grid, creating and sustaining 22,000 jobs across the province annually, and generating upwards of $10 billion in economic activity each year.”
The Unit 6 MCR is currently underway.
Bruce Power says once the Unit 3 project is completed in 2026, half of the Bruce Power units will be fully refurbished as Units 1 and 2 had their major components replaced and were returned to service in 2012.
It says Unit 3 will provide enough electricity annually to power over 800,000 Ontario homes, adding on top of that output, Unit 3 will also continue to be optimized as part of Bruce Power’s Project 2030, which is a multi-year initiative to achieve a Bruce Power site peak of 7,000 Megawatts for the 2030s which Bruce Power says is, “Critical to Ontario and Canada’s Net Zero goals.”
Bruce Power says over 90 per cent of its purchasing takes place in Ontario it adds, its Life-Extension Program will also create significant, long-term employment for Ontario’s building and construction trades.