OPG awards $50M supply contract to BWXT
Ontario Power Generation (OPG) has awarded a contract worth $50 million to BWX Technologies, Inc. for complex parts relating to the refurbishment of the Darlington Nuclear Generating Station.
BWXT Nuclear Energy Canada Inc. will run the project from its office in Peterborough. The company will draw on its team of more than 250 engineers, skilled trades and other specialized personnel to design and supply complex parts and assemblies to enable refurbishment of all eight fuelling machine heads at Darlington. The heads are part of the remote-controlled system that allows continuous on-power fuelling in the plant’s CANDU reactors.
"Our team in Peterborough produces innovative fuel handling systems for CANDU nuclear plants around the world and is committed to supplying engineering services and components of the highest quality," said John MacQuarrie, president of BWXT's Nuclear Power Group. "We are excited to get started on this project that will again showcase BWXT's engineering and manufacturing solutions that help our customers to operate their plants reliably."
Engineering work on the project began in 2020, and component supply is scheduled to take place between 2022 and 2026.
"Ontario's nuclear supply chain is strong, allowing us to source much of what we need, both as we refurbish Darlington and also as we work toward small modular reactor deployment, right here at home," said Subo Sinnathamby, OPG's Senior Vice President, Refurbishment. "We know BWXT has the skilled workers and the same rigorous commitment to quality and safety we do at OPG, which is imperative as they provide key parts and knowledge to refurbish Darlington's fuel machine heads."
After 30 years of service, the Darlington generating station is in the midst of a planned midlife overhaul. The first of four units was shut down in 2016 and returned to service in 2020. A second unit is currently being refurbished, with the four-unit project slated for completion in 2026.
Beyond extending the life of the station by 30 or more years, the project will inject nearly $90 billion into Ontario’s economy. About 96 percent of the project costs are being spent in Ontario, with the project expected to create 14,000 jobs annually throughout its duration, and five jobs created elsewhere in the economy for every worker employed at the station.
The Darlington refurbishment also plays a role in helping meet Ontario's climate change goals. OPG data suggests that the continued operation of Darlington through 2055 is equivalent to taking two million cars off Ontario's roads in terms of greenhouse gas avoidance.
The station generates enough electricity to meet about 20 percent of Ontario's power needs, enough to power two million homes.
More than 200 companies across Ontario are part of the refurbishment project.
Featured image: Darlington Nuclear Generating Station is currently undergoing a planned midlife refurbishment. (CNW Group/Ontario Power Generation Inc.)